We have seen a spate of such attacks recently — and a billboard in Nazareth that actually called for them. “Moderate” Fatah called for such attacks. And the Islamic State issued this call in September 2014:
So O muwahhid, do not let this battle pass you by wherever you may be. You must strike the soldiers, patrons, and troops of the tawaghit. Strike their police, security, and intelligence members, as well as their treacherous agents. Destroy their beds. Embitter their lives for them and busy them with themselves. If you can kill a disbelieving American or European — especially the spiteful and filthy French — or an Australian, or a Canadian, or any other disbeliever from the disbelievers waging war, including the citizens of the countries that entered into a coalition against the Islamic State, then rely upon Allah, and kill him in any manner or way however it may be….If you are not able to find an IED or a bullet, then single out the disbelieving American, Frenchman, or any of their allies. Smash his head with a rock, or slaughter him with a knife, or run him over with your car, or throw him down from a high place, or choke him, or poison him….
“Four murdered in terror attack in Jerusalem’s East Talpiot,” by Roi Yanovasky and Omri Efraim, Ynet News, January 8, 2017:
Four people—three women and a man in their 20s—were murdered and 13 wounded when a Palestinian truck driver deliberately rammed into pedestrians on a popular promenade overlooking the walled Old City of Jerusalem on Sunday.
The truck, which has Israeli license plates stolen from a private vehicle, sped towards pedestrians waiting at a bus stop and hit them deliberately, police said.
“The terrorist came from the direction of Alar Street. He noticed a group of people coming off a bus that stopped along the promenade. As far as we know, he sped up and hit them,” said Jerusalem District Police spokeswoman Galit Ziv.
Police said the terrorist was shot and neutralized. Palestinian sources identified the terrorist as Fadi al-Kanabir, a released prisoner from Jabel Mukaber, a neighborhood in East Jerusalem that borders East Talpiot. IDF troops raided the terrorist’s house shortly after the attack.
Speaking at the scene of the attack, Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh said there was no prior intelligence regarding the terrorist’s intention to carry out his attack. He said no additional details can be revealed about the terrorist at this moment as the investigation is still ongoing.
A driver who witnessed the incident said on the radio the truck ploughed into a group of soldiers, and that they fired on the driver, who reversed direction and ran over them again.
“They shot him, until they neutralized him,” said the bus driver, who gave his name only as Moshe.
A tour guide who was at the scene said, “I saw a truck speeding… people ran for cover, yelling ‘terror attack’… it lasted about a minute and a half until the terrorist was neutralized … I was treating the wounded, trying to strengthen them and praying.”…
Hamas praised the attack, trying to get #TruckIntifada trending on Twitter and handing out sweets in Gaza to celebrate it.
“This truck attack shows that any attempt to put a stop to the resistance will fail,” Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, wrote on Twitter.