3 killed, 1 in critical condition following attack in central city at end of Independence Day; all wounds appear to be caused by ax; authorities order residents to remain indoors
West Bank and Gaza closure extended until Sunday
Following the deadly Elad attack, Israeli security officials extend the closure on West Bank and Gaza Palestinians until Sunday, the Defense Ministry says.
The decision came during a snap meeting of Israeli security chiefs to discuss responses to the terror attack, which has left three Israelis dead so far. Two others are in critical condition.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz vowed that the defense establishment “would exact a price for the terror attacks and the incitement,” without providing details.
The closure was put in place on Tuesday afternoon, ahead of Memorial Day and Independence Day, and was supposed to end overnight Thursday-Friday.
Sheba hospital neurosurgeon says attack victim admitted with ‘severe head injury’
Dr. Tzion Zibli, head of neurosurgery at Sheba Medical Center, said that a 20-year old man injured in the Elad attack has been admitted to his department.
The victim is fighting for his life, has a “severe head injury” and is en-route to surgery.
Early reports said the two suspected attackers used a firearm and an ax, but medics have said that all of the injuries appear to have been caused by a sharp weapon, and not by gunfire.
Another patient is in critical condition at Beilinson Medical Center in Petah Tikva.
Bennett to hold situational assessment following Elad attack
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is receiving constant updates and will hold a situational assessment with Israeli security chiefs in the coming hour, his office says.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz and IDF chief Aviv Kohavi have held a situational assessment following the attack, which killed three in Elad.
Bennett has not yet commented publicly on the attack.
Security forces search for suspects in forested area at city’s edge
Security forces are searching areas in and around the city of Elad for two suspected attackers following a deadly attack in the city earlier tonight.
Footage filmed by Elad residents shows large police forces scanning a forested area close to the city’s perimeter.
Police say they are searching for two suspects, and the “working hypothesis” is that the attackers are Palestinians from the West Bank.
UN envoy ‘appalled’ by Elad terror attack, blasts Hamas for praising violence
Tor Wennesland, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, condemns the deadly terror attack in Elad and blasts Palestinian terror groups for applauding the attack.
“Appalled by this evening’s terror attack in central Israel in which three Israelis were killed, and several others injured. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and I wish a speedy recovery to the wounded,” Wennesland says in a statement.
“It is deplorable that Hamas and others continue to glorify and encourage such attacks, which undermine the possibility of a peaceful future for both Palestinians and Israelis. All must condemn violence and stand up to terror,” he says.
US ambassador to Israel: Terror attacks must stop
United States Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides calls the terror attack in Elad “a heartbreaking end” to the celebrations of Israel’s Independence Day.
“I share the grief of families of those murdered in the terrorist attack & wish speedy recovery to the wounded. This must STOP!” Nides writes on Twitter.
Police say Elad terrorists likely from West Bank
Police officials say their “working hypothesis” is that the terrorists who killed 3 and wounded several others in Elad are Palestinians from the West Bank.
The two suspects have not yet been apprehended or identified.
West Bank Palestinians have carried out a string of deadly attacks in recent months in Israel and the West Bank, and Arab Israelis carried out at least two attacks within Israel.
Lapid: ‘The joy of Independence day cut short in an instant’
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid responds to the Elad terror attack, which took place at the end of Independence Day, in the first public response from a senior leader in the coalition.
“The joy of Independence Day is cut short in an instant,” Lapid says.
“The murderous terror attack in Elad is terrifying to the heart and soul. Three murdered and another three wounded by lowly terrorists. I send condolences from the depth of my heart to the families that lost a loved one this evening, and pray with all of Israel for the safety of the injured.”
“We will not submit to terror. We will not let terrorists scare us. The security forces will catch the murderers and stand them on trial. We will continue to fight together for our independence and the safety of Israeli citizens.”
Defense minister, IDF chief hold assessment after attack
Defense Minister Benny Gantz and IDF chief Aviv Kohavi hold a situational assessment following the attack in Elad, Gantz’s office says.
Terror groups praise Elad attack, but don’t take responsibility
Palestinian terror groups praise the terror attack that has left at least three Israelis dead and others wounded in the central city of Elad, although none immediately take responsibility.
The Hamas terror group calls the attack “a heroic operation,” saying it comes in response to Jewish Israelis visiting the Temple Mount holy site earlier today.
“Our people will continue their struggle and their defense of the Al-Aqsa Mosque with every means. Their blows will strike the Zionists and the settlers wherever they are,” says Hamas spokesperson Abd al-Latif al-Qanou.
In a recent speech, Hamas’s Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar threatened violent consequences should Israelis continue visiting the site. He also called on West Bank Palestinians to commit individual attacks against Israelis.
“This is the practical implementation of what the resistance warned: Al-Aqsa is a red line,” Hamas official Hazem Qasim says.
Islamic Jihad also praises the deadly attack as a “heroic operation.”
“For settler gangs to defile Al-Aqsa — this crosses red lines,” says senior terror group member Mohammad Hmeid.
Witness: ‘I heard screams: ‘Medic! medic!’
A witness to the attacks in Elad says he heard screaming while driving home from a store.
“I was in my car and suddenly I heard screams of ‘medic, medic!’” Netanel Birnbaum tells Channel 12.
“I stopped right away. There was a medic with me who just ran to the area and started doing resuscitation to a person.”
Police put up roadblocks in search for suspects
Police say they launched a manhunt for the two suspects in the Elad attack, blocking off several roads in the area.
In a statement, police say a helicopter is being used to search for a vehicle that fled the scene.
Hamas applauds terror attack in Elad
The Hamas terror group applauds the deadly terror attack in Elad.
“The terror attack in Elad is a response to our people’s rage over the occupation’s attack on our holy sites,” Hamas says.
