10 Israelis, at Least 68 Palestinians Killed During Terror Wave Last Month

Ten Israelis and at least 68 Palestinians were killed during the new terror wave that hit Israel last month, according to data from the Israel Defense Forces and Palestinian organizations. The IDF recorded more than 70 terrorist attacks in October, the majority in the West Bank.

The death toll among Israelis is similar to the numbers during the initial month of the second intifada in October 2000, when 12 people were killed. (The data from 2000 also included the last two days of September.) The death toll among Palestinians at this point is just over half (about 53 percent) the number of fatalities in the first month of violence 15 years ago, when it was 129 fatalities.

The current wave of violence also left one Eritrean dead. Haftom Zarhum was shot and attacked by Israelis two weeks ago, in the course of a terror attack at the Be’er Sheva central bus station, when he was mistaken for a terrorist.

Nine of the 10 Israelis killed last month were civilians. The 10th, Sgt. Omri Levy of the Golani Brigade, was murdered in the Be’er Sheva attack. Over the past month, 130 Israelis have been injured in terror attacks, according to IDF data.

The IDF recorded 75 terror attacks during the month: 43 in the West Bank, 22 in Jerusalem (mostly in the eastern part of the city) and 10 within the Green Line (but excluding Jerusalem).

Most of the attacks (55) involved stabbings, but some were incidents involving victims who were run over by motor vehicles or where guns were used.

Up until last Thursday afternoon, the IDF had identified 817 “focal points” of disturbances of the peace (violent demonstrations) in the West Bank, as well as 851 stone-throwing incidents and 377 incidents involving the throwing of firebombs. The number of stone-throwing incidents only details instances that were formally reported.

Palestinian organizations recorded 72 deaths from the month’s violence. This number included an 8-month-old baby, Mohammed Faisal Thawabta, who died near Bethlehem on Friday. Palestinians have claimed that the infant died as a result of tear-gas inhalation. The IDF is investigating, but said there was no direct connection between the baby’s death and IDF operations in the village of Beit Fajjar.

The Palestinian figures also included three adults whom the Palestinians said died while waiting at checkpoints, a claim that is currently difficult to verify.

Among the 68 Arab fatalities whose deaths have been verified with a high degree of certainty as resulting from the violence, 17 were killed in the Gaza Strip, mostly while marching on the border fence. Another fatality, Mohannad al-Okbi – an Israeli-Bedouin resident of the Negev – was the terrorist involved in the Be’er Sheva bus station attack on October 18.

Among the 50 Palestinians killed in the West Bank and within Israel, the IDF reported that 43 were terrorists who were killed in the course of stabbing or vehicular attacks, or in attempted attacks of that nature. They included three women. Another 13 were shot by Israeli security forces or civilians in the course of terror attacks.

The organizations also reported that more than 2,300 Palestinians were injured in clashes with the IDF in Jerusalem and the territories, not including injuries from tear-gas inhalation.