At least three people were killed and four others injured in a terrorist attack in the Israeli city of Elad near Petah Tikva towards the end of Independence Day.
All three victims were men in their 40s. One of the victims was named as Yonatan Habakkuk, a father of five.
Two of the victims aged 60 and 35 were seriously wounded and transported to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer and Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus sedated and intubated. Another 40-year-old male was moderately wounded and transported to Beilinson, and a 23-year-old male who fought with the terrorists was conveyed in mild condition to the hospital.
MDA Paramedic Alon Rizkan, who arrived at the scene and treated the victims called it “a very difficult call.”
“Unfortunately, this incident will be deeply etched in my heart,” said MDA volunteer Moti Tsinvert. “In all my years as an emergency medicine paramedic, I have not encountered such a severe scene of multiple casualties with significant penetrating injuries, residents who went out just to breathe fresh air in the park, and their lives were ended so harshly.”
“This is a massacre and bloodbath that is reminiscent of dark days in the history of Israel. I hope that I and the rest of the emergency services that dealt with the horrific event will be able to return to routine after the difficult images we saw,” added Tsinvert.
Police and IDF special operations units were investigating the background of the incident, Police Spokesman Sgt. Eli Levy said, and according to reports, the victims were injured by two men, one wielding an ax, in two different locations including near Elad Amphitheater Park.
Checkpoints were deployed along the city’s main roads while police searched by helicopter for a vehicle that was seen fleeing the scene.
The Elad Municipality asked residents to shelter in place.
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz spoke with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi following the attack. Israel Police Superintendent Kobi Shabtai arrived at the scene on Thursday evening.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett held a situational assessment with all the heads of the security establishment on Thursday night.
The attack comes toward the end of Independence Day, with many families gathering outdoors to celebrate the country’s 74th anniversary on Thursday evening.
Ahead of Memorial Day and Independence Day, the IDF announced a closure on the West Bank and Gaza Strip with the exception of humanitarian, medical and exceptional cases made with the approval of the IDF’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).
The closure began on Tuesday, May 3 at 15.00 and was set to last until Friday, May 6.
Gantz decided to extend the closure until Sunday, with an additional situation assessment planned for the weekend. Gantz also ordered reinforcements for police and the activation of security forces needed to close off the Seam Line and crossings in order to stop the terrorists from escaping.
Gantz warned that the security establishment would “exact a price” for the attacks and incitement.
Lapid: We will not succumb to terrorism
“The joy of Independence Day was cut short in an instant,” said Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Thursday. “A murderous attack in Elad shocks the heart and soul…I send heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their loved ones tonight, and pray with the whole house of Israel for the safety of the wounded.”
“We will not succumb to terrorism. Terrorists can not scare us. The security forces will catch the killers and those who sent them and hold them accountable. We will continue to fight together for our independence and the security of the citizens of Israel,” said Lapid.
“Our enemies have embarked on a murderous campaign against Jews wherever they are,” said Bennett. “Their goal is to break our spirit, they will fail. We will lay our hands on the terrorists and their supportive surroundings, and they will pay the price. I offer my deepest condolences to the families of those killed.”
Tor Wennesland, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, condemned the terrorist attack, saying “It is deplorable that #Hamas and others continue to glorify and encourage such attacks, which undermine the possibility of a peaceful future for both #Palestine|ians and #Israel|is. All must condemn violence and stand up to terror.”
It is deplorable that #Hamas and others continue to glorify and encourage such attacks, which undermine the possibility of a peaceful future for both #Palestine|ians and #Israel|is. All must condemn violence and stand up to terror.
— Tor Wennesland (@TWennesland) May 5, 2022
US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides condemned the attack as well, tweeting “Heartbreaking end to Yom HaAtzmaut in Elad. I share the grief of families of those murdered in the terrorist attack & wish speedy recovery to the wounded. This must STOP!”
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the attack on Thursday, stating that “the killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians only leads to a further deterioration of the situation at a time when we all strive to achieve stability and prevent escalation.”
Abbas warned against using the attack as a reason to “carry out attacks and reactions” against Palestinians and condemned “continuous attacks against our people and their Islamic and Christian holy sites, which created an atmosphere of tension and instability.”
The PA president stated that “the cycle of violence confirms that permanent, comprehensive and just peace is the shortest and sound way to provide security and stability for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples and the peoples of the region.”
Terrorism wave continues
The attack in Elad comes as tensions have been high in Israel after a wave of deadly attacks has killed close to 20 Israelis.
The IDF has reinforced troops in the West Bank by 12 battalions for a total of 25 battalions in order to bring the current wave of violence to an end without further attacks. Last week the IDF announced the decision to recruit six reserve battalions in the coming weeks after a situational assessment.
The huge boost in troops allows the military to carry out offensive operations in the West Bank and deploy troops along the security fence in order to prevent Palestinians from crossing into Israel through holes in the fence.
With at least two of the attacks carried out by Palestinians who illegally crossed into Israel through holes in the fence, the IDF has already begun to dig trenches to prevent vehicles from crossing as well as additional defenses along the barrier.
A third attack, at the entrance to the West Bank city of Ariel last week, was carried out by two Palestinians who were driving a stolen Israeli car.
Hamas spokesman Abd al-Latif al-Qanou praised the attack, saying that it was “a heroic and qualitative operation that constitutes a severe blow to the occupation and its security system, in the context of responding to the crimes of the occupation and the settlers’ incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
He said that Israel is “paying the price for its crimes and its racist policy against our people, and our people will not tire or get bored until the occupation is swept away. Our people will continue their struggle and defense of Al-Aqsa Mosque by all means and tools, and its strikes will reach the Zionists and the herds of settlers wherever they go and settle down.”
The increase in troop deployment to the West Bank is expected to last until the end of the year in order to allow soldiers to carry out offensive operations to arrest suspects believed to be involved in terror.
This is a developing story.
Tzvi Joffre contributed to this report.
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