In central Israel, a tragic incident unfolded on Monday as two Palestinian terrorists went on a violent rampage.
This led to the unfortunate death of an elderly woman and left at least 17 people injured, including schoolchildren.
The attack took place in Ra’anana, an Israeli city located north of Tel Aviv.
The perpetrators, who were illegally present in the area, initiated the assault at approximately 1:30 p.m., coinciding with school dismissal time.
During their rampage, they forcefully seized three vehicles, one of which belonged to a female driver who was subjected to physical harm.
Using these stolen vehicles, the attackers carried out multiple assaults throughout Ra’anana. Tragically, several children were struck by the vehicles and suffered injuries.
Additionally, 79-year-old Edna Bluestein lost her life during this horrific event according to reports from the Jerusalem Post.
A witness told Haaretz that she saw “someone stab people near the mall. [The attacker] stole a car and ran over other people.”
“Another person was with me, noticed the situation and shouted ‘an attack, an attack’. After that, I saw the terrorist. I saw him stabbing a man around 60 years old. The man fell and the terrorist ran away,” said witness Eden Alfi.
Mahmoud Zidat, aged 44, and Ahmed Zidat, aged 24, from Bani Na’im, engaged in a series of vehicle hijackings before eventually crashing and being apprehended by the police.
Mahmoud Zidat was allegedly working without proper authorization at a local car wash in the city while residing in Ra’anana with his cousin Ahmed.
Following the terrorists’ capture, Israeli police indicated central district police officers were sweeping “the attack scenes and its surroundings to ensure no further threats.”
Central District Police Chief Avi Biton said, “This was a very grave terror attack,” The Daily Mail reported.
“They went out together and in parallel, to two different locations, took two cars and launched a series of rammings,” added Biton.
One of the attackers allegedly told the Shin Bet that “when the war in Gaza started,” they “decided to carry out an attack and become martyrs… Initially, we intended to stab Jews, but then we decided to run over as many Jews as possible,” reported the Times of Israel.
The Magen David Adom emergency services initially indicated that two males, ages 34 and 16, were in “serious condition with head and limb injuries”; another eight victims were in moderate condition; and three were in mild condition.
However, Haaretz later revealed that three individuals, including a 16-year-old boy, were in serious condition and that 14 victims, including six children, were left in light to moderate condition.
The victims were taken to Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba, the Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, and the Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv.
Fourteen of the victims remained hospitalized as of Monday evening.
The Post reported that Hamas has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Hamas justified the terror attacks as a direct response to the Nazi occupation’s massacres and ongoing aggression against Palestinians.
Additionally, the group urged youth in the West Bank and Jerusalem to intensify their efforts for revolution until Palestine is established where Israel previously existed.
A video captured by a bystander displays one of the severely damaged vehicles, presumably utilized by the terrorists, positioned on the sidewalk alongside an unmoving body.
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