Two Israeli Arabs shot and killed two border police officers at a bus stop in Hadera. It is the second deadly terrorist attack in Israel within five days.
Terrorists shot and killed two border guards in Hadera on Sunday evening. The Israeli Arabs opened fire on a group at a bus stop in the northern Israeli coastal city. Several people were injured, five of whom were still being treated at Hillel Jaffe Hospital on Monday morning. One was critically wounded, doctors said. The attackers died in a shootout.
As a video shows, the two terrorists waited until a bus arrived. When passengers got off, they started shooting.
The victims are two 19-year-olds: Jesen Falah came from the Druze village of Kisra-Sumei in northern Israel. He had been with the border patrol for a year and leaves behind his parents, a brother, and a sister. Shirel Abukarat from Netanya had started her service six months ago. She leaves behind her parents and a brother, reports the news site "Arutz Sheva.".
Commander honors victims as "heroes"
Border patrol officers from another unit were sitting in a restaurant near the site of the attack when it occurred. They shot and killed the attackers. The border patrol commander, Amir Cohen, called the victims "heroes": "These two risked their lives to protect citizens and save many lives. A male and a female fighter, both young and highly motivated, who gave their lives for the security of the State of Israel."
The attackers came from the Arab city of Umm el-Fahm in central Israel and were cousins. Several arrests were made there overnight. A news blackout has been imposed on the investigation. According to the security apparatus, the terrorists belonged to the international network "Islamic State" (IS) or were at least sympathizers.
Palestinian terrorist groups react with delight
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack via Telegram. Palestinian terrorist groups praised it – and each found a motive. Dawud Shihab of "Islamic Jihad" stated that the attack was a reaction by the Palestinian people and the freedom fighters in the Arab world to the summit of evil attended by Arab foreign ministers. He spoke with the Al-Miadin television station, which is affiliated with the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
Shihab was referring to the summit in the Negev, which began on Sunday. Besides Israel and the USA, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Egypt are also represented there.
The radical Islamist group Hamas expressed its congratulations "on the heroic action in Hadera." It stated that this was a "natural and legitimate response to the crimes of the occupation against the Palestinian people and their holy sites.".
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) informed his counterparts about the attack at the summit. They condemned it. Lapid emphasized: “This evening’s horrific terrorist attack is an attempt by brutal extremists to spread fear and damage the social fabric of our country. The State of Israel will fight terror without compromise. We will resolutely oppose, together with our allies, anyone who tries to harm us.”
Mansur Abbas: Remove the evil root from Arab society
Knesset member Mansur Abbas, whose Ra'am party is part of the coalition, appealed to Arab society. It must "remove the evil root from its midst," the newspaper Haaretz quoted him as saying. "This is despicable IS terror, which does not represent Arab society in Israel. It strives for a life of dignity within the framework of the rule of law."
Police across the country have raised their alert level to the highest level. Security forces have been warning for several days of possible attacks during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins on April 2nd. On Tuesday, an IS sympathizer murdered four Israelis in Beersheba.
