On Sunday, a Palestinian man with Israeli citizenship launched a shooting spree across several towns in central Israel. The attack resulted in one fatality and five injuries before Israeli police killed the assailant. Initially, the widespread locations of the shootings led to fears of a coordinated attack by multiple individuals. This concern echoed memories of the October 2023 Hamas-led attacks. However, police later confirmed it was the work of a lone gunman with an accomplice.
Rescue services from Magen David Adom received initial reports of the violence at a gas station near Kokhav Yair, located on the Israeli side of the West Bank boundary, around 10:30 a.m. Additional reports quickly followed from Tsur Natan, Tsur Yitzhak, and near the Israeli settlement of Sal’it in the West Bank. A second suspect was arrested later in the day while trying to stab officers with a glass bottle. Fortunately, no injuries were reported during the arrest. Further investigations are underway.
According to Israel’s Channel 12, the attacker remained in his vehicle during the shooting spree. This mobility allowed him to cover multiple locations rapidly. Magen David Adom reported that a 35-year-old Israeli man was killed in Kokhav Yair. One victim managed to escape to a nearby McDonald’s, leaving behind bloodstained clothes, presumably removed by paramedics, near the entrance.
Five people suffered injuries, two seriously and three moderately. Initial reports mistakenly included six injured individuals due to the chaotic scene following the assault. Residents received instructions to remain at home, and children were kept in lockdown for at least three hours at school, as stated by Oshrit Gani Gonen, regional council head.
“Since Oct. 7, the scenario we were expecting was a terrorist crossing into our towns from over the boundary, I don’t think that anyone imagined that we would discover the attackers were Israeli citizens,” Gonen expressed in a media interview.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commended the swift response from security forces. Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, overseeing police operations, also praised the effective apprehension of the suspect. He shared a video standing next to a censored image of the attacker’s body on a social media platform, X, declaring “this is the end of every terrorist”.
Ben-Gvir emphasized, “This is the result for terrorists, who need to be eliminated — preferably in the field, if not under the framework of the death penalty law for terrorists we passed.” His statements have led to criticism from other Israeli leaders, particularly regarding his contentious videos aimed at boosting support among the conservative base ahead of the legislative elections.
The situation in Israel and the West Bank remains tense, with heightened instability since the initiation of the Gaza conflict in October 2023. During the Hamas-led infiltration into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, approximately 1,200 people were killed, and 251 were taken hostage. The subsequent Israeli military operations in Gaza have resulted in over 72,000 Palestinian fatalities, including both militants and civilians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Further highlighting the unrest, an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip on Sunday led to the deaths of at least four Palestinians, reported by the Palestinian Red Crescent. The strike targeted a police site in Khan Younis, with casualties brought to a field hospital managed by the charity. At least ten additional individuals sustained injuries. The Israeli military has yet to comment on this specific incident, though it has previously stated its intent to target militants posing risks to Israeli troops.
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