JERUSALEM: A Palestinian from the Israeli-occupied West Bank killed a man and a woman in a stabbing and car-ramming attack in northern Israel before he was shot and wounded on Friday (Dec 26), police and rescuers said.
“Preliminary investigation indicates this was a rolling terror attack that began in the city of Beit Shean, where a pedestrian was run over,” the police said in a statement, adding 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 a hospital.
Both the victims succumbed to the injuries, Israel’s emergency service provider Magen David Adom 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”.
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.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said he had instructed the military to respond forcefully in the West Bank town of Qabaitya, where he said the assailant came from, to thwart any further attacks.
The Israeli military said it was “preparing for an operation” in the area.