One killed, several wounded in suspected terror attack in central Israel
By Tal Shalev, Oren Liebermann, CNN
(CNN) — At least one person was killed and several wounded in central Israel, according to emergency responders, as police said they were investigating the shooting as a suspected terror attack.
Israel’s Magen David Adom (MDA) said a man in his 30s was shot and killed at a gas station in Kochav Yair, a town that sits on the Green Line demarcating Israel from the occupied West Bank. Five other people across at least three separate scenes were also wounded, MDA said in a statement, including two in serious condition.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later identified the deceased as reservist Master Sergeant Haim Kalomiti, 55, from the town of Tzur Natan. The IDF said one of the injured in the shooting attack was also a reservist soldier who was rushed to the hospital for treatment after he was severely injured.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that Kalomiti “courageously engaged the terrorist who carried out this murderous attack and fell while fulfilling his mission to protect the state and its residents.”
Police said they “neutralized” a suspect after locating a vehicle they believe was involved in the shooting. Police often used the term “neutralized” to denote killing a suspect. An Israeli security source said the suspect was a Palestinian citizen of Israel from Tayibe, an Arab town just north of Kochav Yair.
Security forces carried out additional searches in the area to see if there were any others involved in the attack.
On Sunday afternoon, police arrested a second suspect they said was involved in the attack. Police said the suspect attempted to stab detectives with a glass bottle as he was taken into custody.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a situation assessment following the attack, according to a statement from his office. “I praise the rapid-response teams that acted immediately against the terrorists,” Netanyahu said at a government meeting on Sunday. “I praise the officers of the Israel Police who neutralized the terrorist and apprehended his accomplice.”
Following the shooting, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for “profound change” among Israel’s Arab citizens and a crackdown on illegal weapons in the community. “The equation is simple: whoever accepts the state’s sovereignty will live here in peace,” Smotrich said. “Whoever chooses the path of terror will have their blood on their own head.”
Hamas praised the attack, claiming it comes as a response to “the occupation’s ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip” and “assaults that affect our people daily in the West Bank and Jerusalem.”
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