Israeli security forces stand at the scene of a shooting incident in southern Israel, where at least two people died.
Two Israelis were murdered and four seriously injured just hours before Shabbat in a brutal terrorist attack in southern Israel.
The attack took place at the Re’im Junction, near the southern town of Gadera just outside of Ashdod. According to police, the terrorist approached the intersection, where he made a quick U-turn towards the direction of the bus stop, where he proceeded to begin shooting innocent civilians. The terrorist was dressed “ISIS-style” according to the police – having a large beard and white cap. He was killed by an armed civilian shortly after the shooting began.
“This attack reminds us that the whole country is a front and that the murderers, who come not only from Gaza, want to kill us all,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We will continue to fight until complete victory with all our strength, on every front, everywhere, until we restore security and peace to all citizens of Israel,”
Police said the killer, named as Fadi Jamjoom, was from the Shufat refugee camp in east Jerusalem, where he traveled from Friday morning.
“I was sitting at the entrance to a garage near the scene of the incident and I heard gunshots very close to me,” said Ari Rosenstein, a Magen David Adom first responder who arrived on the scene. “I immediately ran to the scene and noticed a very difficult scene. I noticed at the bus station and near it a number of injured people lying unconscious. We tried to fight for [the life of one who perished] and evacuated him to the hospital while doing CPR. Another young man about 20 years old was unconscious, and a boy about 16 years old and a man about 65 years old were conscious and suffered from penetrating and severe injuries. A 65-year-old woman was also injured and her condition was defined as moderate. A 52-year-old man who managed to escape from the scene called us near the nearby settlement of Yad Binyamin, he was conscious and suffered from a penetrating injury to his body, and we also evacuated him to the hospital as his condition is moderate and stable.”
The civilian who killed the terrorist, who is currently serving in the reserves, told Israeli media “I was on the other side of the road, I saw him shooting and I ran with a gun drawn. I charged at him, first I shot from a distance and then I reduced the distance to him. I advanced towards him while I was shooting, then I reached him and made sure he was neutralized.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has been attacked for increasing the approval rate of gun licenses, arrived at the scene of the attack, telling reporters “This event once again proved the concept that guns save lives. We know that in the last month there has been criticism of a very broad policy of distributing weapons, today it has been proven that weapons save people’s lives. Not only did we not submit to criticism, but I will expand and increase our policy to allow Israeli citizens to arm themselves – these weapons save people. We have a police force that works very hard, police officers who give their lives, who cannot be everywhere and anywhere, and we have here a citizen who was a security guard in the past who saves other people’s lives.”
War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz offered his condolences of X, writing “We are fighting for our lives in this country. The prices are difficult, but we are determined. Together, we will break the spirit of terror of our enemies.”
