Two people were killed in northern Israel after a Palestinian attacker used a vehicle to hit pedestrians in Beit Shean and later stabbed a woman by a nearby highway before being shot and wounded. A teenage boy sustained minor injuries in the vehicle strike. The attack followed a separate incident the day before in which an Israeli reservist rammed a praying Palestinian; the reservist's service was later terminated. Israeli officials said the attacker had crossed from the West Bank and signalled a potential military response in Qabatiya.
Two Killed in Northern Israel After Car-Ramming and Stabbing; Attacker Shot
Israeli flags flutter at the entrance to an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank [File: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters]
Two people were killed in a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack in northern Israel on Friday, police and emergency services said.
Attack Details
Israeli police and rescue teams reported that a Palestinian from the occupied West Bank carried out the assault. Authorities said the attacker first struck pedestrians with his vehicle in the city of Beit Shean, killing a 68-year-old man, and then drove onto a nearby highway. Near the highway he fatally stabbed a 20-year-old woman. A teenage boy suffered minor injuries in the vehicle impact and was treated in hospital.
Police said the assailant was shot and wounded near Maonot Junction in Afula following intervention by a civilian bystander and security forces. He was taken to hospital. The Israeli military said the attacker had "infiltrated into Israeli territory several days ago."
Related Incident
The attack followed a separate incident the previous day in which an Israeli military reservist, wearing civilian clothes, drove his vehicle into a Palestinian man who was praying at the roadside in the West Bank after firing shots in the area. The Israeli military said it had received footage showing an armed individual running over a Palestinian, and that the reservist's military service had been terminated. The Palestinian man underwent medical checks at a hospital and later returned home.
Wider Context
The events come amid an extended and deadly conflict that began in October 2023. The war in Gaza has resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths, according to various reports, and the West Bank has also seen increasing violence. The United Nations reports that more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since 7 October 2023, mostly during security operations and some in clashes involving settlers. In the same period, 57 Israelis have been killed in attacks attributed to Palestinians.
Official Response
Following Friday's attack, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said he had instructed the military to respond forcefully in the West Bank town of Qabatiya, which he identified as the assailant's hometown. The Israeli military said it was preparing for an operation in the area.
Investigations and security operations in the region are expected to continue. Authorities have not released the name of the suspect or further forensic details while the investigation is ongoing.
