Two Palestinian terrorists killed four Israelis in an attack near a settlement. The terrorist organization Hamas welcomed the attack.
In a shooting attack near the settlement of Eli on Tuesday afternoon, two Palestinian terrorists killed four Israelis and seriously injured four others. The attack took place at a gas station and an adjacent hummus restaurant outside the settlement. Founded in 1984, Eli is located about 30 kilometers north of Jerusalem.
At the scene of the attack, a security guard from the settlement shot and killed one of the terrorists. The second initially escaped. Security forces searched for him and located him two hours later in a taxi further north in the city of Tubas. When he resisted arrest, they shot him dead.
The Jewish victims all died at the scene of the attack. They were three teenagers and an elderly man
- Harel Masud (21) from Yad Binjamin near Ashdod. He had only recently completed his military service.
- Elischa Anteman (17) from Eli. He worked as a waiter in the hummus restaurant.
- Ofer Feiermann (64) from Eli. He leaves behind his wife and two children.
- Nachman Mordoff (17) from the settlement of Ahija, about five kilometers west of Eli.
Hamas welcomes attack
According to Palestinian sources, the terrorists were Muhannad Shehadeh and Khaled Sabah. Both came from the village of Urif near Nablus. They were 24 and 26 years old, respectively.
The terrorist organization Hamas announced that the two perpetrators were members. It did not claim responsibility for the attack itself. However, the attack was described as a "clear message to the criminal occupation regime." It was a response to "the crimes (of the occupation) against the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and the aggression against Nablus and Jenin.".
Debate about reaction
The political leadership is now considering how to respond to the attack. On Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud) said all options were on the table. Opposition politician Benny Gantz (State Camp) stated that he supported a responsible response.
Following Monday's attack on soldiers in Jenin, the possibility of a larger military operation was already under discussion. Defense Minister Josef Gallant (Likud) visited injured soldiers in a Haifa hospital on Tuesday. There he said he had instructed security forces to "take proactive and offensive actions whenever there is a threat to the lives of our citizens or our soldiers.".
The German Foreign Ministry condemned the attack "in the strongest possible terms." On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Foreign Office stated: "Such terrorist attacks can never be justified. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. We wish the injured a speedy recovery. The terrorists' intention to sow hatred and incite further violence must not succeed." (Israelnetz)
