BARBARIC: PALESTINIAN MAN STABS 11 PEOPLE IN TEL AVIV

 A Palestinian man stabbed 11 morning commuters on and near a bus Wednesday, striking in the heart of Tel Aviv.  The attack was the latest in a spate of Palestinian attacks against Israelis over recent months Tel Aviv.

The stabbing took place near a busy intersection during morning rush hour. Police identified the attacker as Hamza Mohammed Matrouk, 23, from the West Bank town of Tulkarem. Police said Matrouk confessed to the attack, saying this summer's Gaza war, tensions surrounding a Jerusalem site holy to Jews and Muslims and extremist Islamic videos promising him an "arrival to heaven" fueled the violence.

Gaza's ruling Hamas praised the attack, calling it "brave and heroic," but did not claim responsibility. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Palestinian incitement for the ongoing bloodshed.

Police and witnesses said Matrouk was riding on the bus when he began stabbing passengers and the driver. He fled the bus but was chased down and shot by prison service officers nearby. They shot Matrouk in the leg and arrested him.

The bus driver, Herzl Biton, was stabbed in the upper body and liver and underwent surgery, his niece Cheli Shushan said. Witnesses said Biton used pepper spray to deter the attacker and slammed on the brakes to jar him. After being stabbed, Biton flung open the doors to allow passengers to flee.

Netanyahu said,"The terrorist attack in Tel Aviv is the direct result of the poisonous incitement being disseminated by the Palestinian Authority against the Jews and their state,. "This same terrorism is trying to attack us in Paris, Brussels and everywhere." he said.