JERUSALEM: A Palestinian killed two people in a stabbing and car-ramming attack in northern Israel on Friday, triggering the defence minister to threaten a crackdown on the assailant’s village in the occupied West Bank.
The attack came a day after an Israeli military reservist dressed in civilian clothes rammed his vehicle into a Palestinian man in the West Bank, where violence has surged since the war in Gaza began.
The Gaza war, sparked by Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, also set off several attacks by Palestinians inside Israel that have left dozens dead.
“Preliminary investigation indicates this was a rolling terror attack that began in the city of Beit Shean, where a pedestrian was run over,” Israeli police said in a statement about Friday’s attack, adding that the victim was a 68-year-old man.
“Later, a young woman was stabbed near Road 71, and the suspect was ultimately engaged with gunfire near Maonot Junction in Afula following intervention by a civilian bystander,” it said, adding that the attacker was taken to hospital.
Both victims succumbed to the injuries, Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency services said in a statement.
MDA also reported that a 16-year-old was slightly injured when “hit by a vehicle”.
The Israeli military said the attacker had “infiltrated into Israeli territory several days ago”.
In a later statement on Friday, the Israeli police said the attacker, a 34-year-old man, was a resident of Qabatiya and had taken his employer’s vehicle to carry out the attack.
After ramming the vehicle into two individuals in Beit Shean, the attacker continued and struck a stationary vehicle.
“He then exited his car carrying a knife … and managed to reach an 18-year-old woman and stabbed her repeatedly,” the force said, adding the attacker’s employer had been detained.
Following the attack, Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the military to launch an operation in Qabatiya, after it emerged that the attacker came from there.
Katz instructed the army “to act forcefully and immediately against the village of Qabatiya, from which the murderous terrorist emerged, in order to locate and thwart every terrorist and strike the village’s terror infrastructure,” his office said in a statement.
“Anyone who aids terrorism or sponsors and backs it will pay the full price,” it added.
The military said in a separate statement that it was preparing to begin an operation in Qabatiya in the northern West Bank, which has seen repeated violent incidents.
President Isaac Herzog condemned the attack.
“I wish to express my deep shock at the horrific killing spree and the combined terrorist attack in northern Israel carried out by a despicable terrorist,” he said in a statement.
“Israel is committed to reinforcing and strengthening this challenging border and, of course, to bolstering the security response in the area for the full safety of the residents,” Herzog added.
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