Israeli authorities confirmed that one person was killed and another was wounded in a stabbing attack at an Israeli mall on Wednesday. The assailant was shot dead by police.
Police have labeled the incident as a suspected terror attack. Israel’s Ynet news site identified the alleged attacker as Joud Rabia from Nahaf, an Israeli town with a significant Arab minority population.
While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a militant group, described it as a “heroic operation” in a Telegram post.
Israeli medics informed Reuters that one of the two victims was pronounced dead after being transported to the hospital. The attacker also died at the mall in Karmiel.
Earlier on Wednesday, medics reported treating two men in their 20s, one with very serious injuries and the other conscious.
Video footage shared on social media and viewed by Reuters showed two men lying motionless on the mall floor as individuals attempted to provide medical assistance. At least one of the men receiving care was wearing a green uniform, according to the video.
A third man, not in uniform, was found lying motionless a short distance away.
Israel is currently engaged in a military operation in Gaza in response to the deadly Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, already on the rise before the escalation in Gaza, has intensified further. This includes heightened Israeli military raids, settler violence, and Palestinian street attacks.
In January, a Palestinian ramming attack in central Israel resulted in the death of one woman and injuries to 12 others.