Deadly Attack in Northern Israel Leaves Two Civilians Killed, Government Orders Swift Security Response

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — A Palestinian attacker carried out a deadly car-ramming and stabbing assault in northern Israel on Friday, killing two Israeli civilians and prompting immediate security measures by Israeli authorities, police and government officials said.

According to Israeli police, the assailant first rammed his vehicle into pedestrians in the city of Beit She'an, killing one man and seriously injuring a teenage boy. The attacker then fled the scene, driving onto a nearby highway before fatally stabbing a young woman and wounding another person near the entrance to the city of Afula.

Israeli security forces shot and neutralized the attacker at the scene, authorities said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu identified the victims as Aviv Maor and Shimshon Mordechai, 68. Paramedics pronounced both dead at the scene, while additional victims were transported to hospital for treatment.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog strongly condemned the attack, describing it as a “horrific killing spree” and reaffirming the state’s commitment to protecting its citizens.

“Israel is committed to reinforcing and strengthening this challenging border and, of course, to bolstering the security response in the area for the full safety of the residents,” Herzog said in a statement.

In response to the attack, Israel’s military began deploying additional forces near the Palestinian town of Qabatiya in the northern West Bank, which Defense Minister Israel Katz identified as the attacker’s hometown.

Katz said he had ordered troops to “act forcefully and immediately” against what he described as terrorist infrastructure in the area.

“Anyone who aids or sponsors terrorism will pay the full price,” Katz said, underscoring Israel’s long-standing policy of targeting militant networks linked to attacks on civilians.

Israeli security forces have conducted multiple operations in and around Qabatiya in recent weeks as part of broader efforts to dismantle armed groups operating near the volatile Jenin area.

Israel maintains that such actions are essential to preventing further attacks and disrupting militant cells before they can strike again.

The attack comes amid heightened security tensions linked to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, which began with the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. That attack killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, triggering a prolonged conflict that has also fueled a rise in terrorism and violence across Israel and the West Bank.

Israeli officials say recent months have seen an uptick in attacks targeting civilians, including a September shooting at a Jerusalem bus stop that killed six people and wounded at least 12 others during the morning rush hour.

Friday’s attack has renewed calls within Israel for robust security measures to protect civilian areas, particularly in regions close to the West Bank, as authorities stress that preventing terrorism remains a top national priority.