Three killed in a terrorist attack in Ariel

Magen David Adom confirmed that three Israelis were killed and another four injured in this morning’s Palestinian stabbing and car-ramming attacks in Ariel.

Magen David Adom responded to a call reporting a number of people had been injured from a stabbing attack at the Ten petrol station in the industrial area of Ariel.

The first of three Israelis killed in a Palestinian terror attack in Ariel on Tuesday morning was identified as Tamir Avihai, a 50-year-old father of six who lived in the nearby community of Kiryat Netafim.

His children ranged in age from 12-29.

MDA EMTs and paramedics pronounced the death of a 36-year-old man and evacuated two people injured from stabbings to Beilinson Hospital, including a 40-year-old man in severe condition and a 36-year-old man in moderate condition.

The fourth victim, a 40-year-old man who was critically injured by a stab wound, was treated by the IDF medical force, and after resuscitation efforts, he was pronounced dead.

A few minutes later, at 09:35, a report was received of a car accident and a stabbing on Route 5 from the Chotze Shomron Interchange to Ariel.

MDA EMTs and paramedics pronounced the death of a 50-year-old man injured in the traffic accident and evacuated a 35-year-old man to Beilinson Hospital in severe condition with a stab wound to his body.

MDA paramedics Elad Polak and Neria Ketoa treated the wounded in Ariel. They said: “A 36-year-old man was lying near the security room suffering from a stab wound in his upper body, he was conscious and communicating with us. We immediately provided medical treatment that included stopping the bleeding and dressings, we moved him to the Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) and we evacuated him to the hospital in moderate condition. Another injured person in a critical condition who was unconscious was treated by an IDF medical force and after resuscitation operations he was pronounced dead.”

The terrorist has been identified as 18-year-old Mohammed Soof, from the nearby village of Haris. He stabbed a security guard at the entrance to the industrial zone. Soof then ran to the nearby gas station, where he stabbed three more people.

Soof then tried to flee in a stolen car on Route 5. During the chase, he crashed into another car, and tried to flee on foot. After stabbing another Israeli, Soof was shot and killed.

Other victims were taken to the Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikvah.

Hospital officials said one of the victims is a man in his 40s with head and chest injuries who is in serious and unstable condition. The other two victims, both in their 30s, were in stable condition.

An IDF officer said the rampage lasted about 20 minutes.

“This event could have ended in the industrial area,” he said. “There was a single terrorist who succeeded with quite a bit of audacity.”

Soof was employed as a cleaner in the industrial zone.

MDA paramedic Tomer Fein and MDA EMT Anatoly Firer added:”Next to the pumps at the gas station were two wounded people suffering from stab wounds. A 35-year-old man was unconscious, without a pulse and not breathing, and after medical examinations an MDA paramedic pronounced him dead. The second victim, a man of about 40 years old, was unconscious, we gave him life-saving medical treatment that included giving him drugs and plasma in order to stabilize his condition and evacuated him to the hospital in serious condition where he was sedated and ventilated.”

MDA EMT Odelia Shahaf was an eyewitness to the attack on Route 5.

She aid: “I was on the road and noticed what looked like a car accident. I saw a wounded man lying on the road and immediately went over to him and while I started treating him I heard shouts of ‘terrorist terrorist’ and saw a man running with a knife in our direction. We started to run away and people pulled out guns. He managed to stab a 35-year-old man before he was injured.

I approached the wounded man who was severely stabbed and stopped his bleeding and very quickly a large number of extra MDA team arrived on the scene and treated the injured.”

MDA EMT Roi Oz and MDA Senior EMT Achiad Slutsky, evacuated the injured man on Route 5 to the hospital reported: “A 35-year-old man was lying on the road while fully conscious and suffering from stab wounds. While being treated, he told us that he struggled with the terrorist and pushed him away Seconds before the terrorist was eliminated. We gave him life-saving medical treatment and evacuated him to the hospital in serious and stable condition where the doctors continue the medical treatment. At the scene of the incident, a 50-year-old man who was injured in an accident as a result of the attack was pronounced dead.”

Prime Minister Yair Lapid said: “On behalf of the Government and State of Israel, I send my condolences to the families of those murdered and my wishes for a speedy recovery to the wounded.

We are relentlessly fighting terrorism with the full might of the IDF, ISA, and all the security forces. Recently, we have succeeded in dismantling extensive terrorist infrastructure and planning, but we must fight this war every day anew.

Our security forces are working around the clock to protect the citizens of Israel and target terrorist infrastructure anytime, anywhere.”

President Isaac Herzog said, “I was horrified to hear about the terrible attack that happened this morning in Ariel; An attack that wounds the heart and shakes the soul, in which a despicable terrorist attacked innocent people, whose only sin was that they wanted to live a peaceful life in their country – our country.”

The President promised that “Israel will continue to stand resolutely and firmly everywhere and at any time, against acts of terrorism and hatred that raise their heads and threaten us.”

President Herzog added that on behalf of the entire people of Israel he shares in the “deep sorrow of the families of the murdered and of the city of Ariel, and offer a prayer for the healing of the wounded.”

Benjamin Netanyahu also sent his prayers to the families of the victims and for the recovery of the wounded.

Also offering his condolences to the victims and their families, Minister of Defence Benny Gantz said, “We are in a difficult day when three Israeli citizens were murdered in a terrorist incident.”

Gantz pledged that “the IDF and all of the security forces will continue to act on the initiative in the depth of the territory and in defense wherever necessary.”

“We will continue the wide deployment, we will continue to pursue the terrorists and their aides,” he added.”

“Anyone who tries to harm the citizens of Israel will be harmed or thwarted. Whoever harmed the citizens of Israel will pay the price,” promised Gantz. “The security campaign continues all the time. The State of Israel has always been stronger than terrorism – and will always overcome it, and this will happen in the future as well.”

While Benjamin Netanyahu has been tasked with forming the next government of Israel until such time that a new government is officially sworn into office Israel’s current government is still responsible for the nation’s security and day-to-day defence.

The newly elected members of the 25th Knesset are being sworn in Wednesday evening in Jerusalem.

TPS/J-Wire/MDA