JERUSALEM — A knife and ax-wielding Israeli man attacked and lightly wounded a security guard at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv on Tuesday before he was apprehended at the scene, police said.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the assailant was an Israeli citizen in his early 40s. He said man’s motive was unknown, but political motives were not suspected and the incident had nothing to do with Israel’s battle with Hamas militants in Gaza.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to arrive in Israel later Tuesday to try and secure a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
The U.S. Embassy on the Tel Aviv beachfront is one of the most secure locations in Israel, guarded around the clock by teams of Israeli and American security guards.
Rosenfeld said security was increased after the attack.
The Israeli embassy guard was slightly injured in the leg before firing a warning shot in the air, Rosenfeld said. The attacker was being questioned.
The U.S. Embassy did not immediately comment.