After an hours-long manhunt, Israeli security forces Wednesday overnight arrested the terrorist who carried out a shooting attack near the Reihan crossing close to Jenin, along the West Bank security barrier. Two IDF reservists were seriously wounded in the attack.
Meanwhile, new footage emerged of another terror incident that occurred Wednesday night in the Hebron Hills, where a reserve officer was moderately wounded in a stabbing. The attacker had first tried to ram a group of IDF soldiers at the scene.
footage of the Hebron Hills terror attack
The terrorist behind the Reihan attack was captured in the village of Barta’a in the Wadi Ara area, in a joint operation by the Israel Police’s Gideonim counterterrorism unit and IDF troops from the Menashe Brigade, acting on intelligence from the Shin Bet security service.
According to a joint statement from the IDF, Shin Bet, and police, "Shin Bet intelligence led forces to encircle the suspect’s home, and he eventually surrendered himself."
The two reservists injured in the shooting, Alon Yifrach, 52, and Thomas Butler, 23, remain in serious but stable condition. Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, where they are hospitalized in the intensive care unit, said both suffered upper-body injuries and underwent surgery overnight.
Alon, a father of five and a dedicated reservist, is described by his family as "hardcore." His son Netanel recounted the events: “My father was driving, Thomas was in the passenger seat, and two female soldiers sat in the back and weren’t hurt. My dad took several bullets to his upper body, his arm was shattered, but he didn’t panic. He kept driving with his right hand and reached the nearest base after four minutes—he saved everyone’s lives. My father is a hero.”
Thomas’s father, Andres, said his son was called up for reserve duty following the October 7 massacre. “He trained for a month, then spent three months in Gaza,” he said. “We were very worried about him, but when he was sent to the West Bank, he said it was ‘calm’—and that’s where he got hurt.”
Large security forces were deployed to the Reihan area following initial reports of gunfire and launched a manhunt that ended with the arrest. The IDF is investigating how the attack was carried out and is examining the possibility that shots were fired from a passing vehicle.
Indictment: Two Galilee residents plotted ramming attack in Karmiel
Separately, the Shin Bet and police revealed that two residents of Deir al-Asad in the Lower Galilee were recently arrested on suspicion of planning a terror attack in response to the war in Gaza. The suspects had reportedly consumed radical content online inspired by ISIS. An indictment was filed Thursday in the Haifa District Court charging both men with conspiracy to carry out a terrorist car-ramming attack in Karmiel. Prosecutors are seeking to keep them in custody until the end of legal proceedings.
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One suspect, Abed al-Rahman Omar, 29, allegedly planned to carry out a ramming attack against Jews with a group of others, motivated by support for Hamas and self-identification with the organization. The second suspect, Nahar Asadi, 22, is accused of agreeing to al-Rahman’s proposal to carry out the attack. Investigators found that both had consumed “extremist ISIS-affiliated content.”
The indictment, filed by attorney Mor Ben-Abo from the Haifa District Attorney’s Office, stated: “The defendants met with friends near the home of al-Rahman’s grandfather in Deir al-Asad and discussed the war in Gaza. During the conversation, al-Rahman proposed to Asadi that they carry out a terrorist attack in Karmiel by ramming Jews with a bulletproof vehicle and, if possible, stabbing them with a knife or using a firearm, with the goal of killing as many civilians as possible.”
Asadi agreed, the indictment said, but one friend present objected, calling the idea dangerous, and left. That friend later informed his father of the plot, and the father warned the suspects’ families.
Qalqilya resident tried to join the Islamic State in Syria, faces terror charges
Another indictment is expected Thursday against Adam Sarsur, 28, from Kafr Qasim, who allegedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and tried to join the group in Syria. He is suspected of engaging in terror-related activity inspired by the Islamic State.
The Shin Bet and police investigation revealed that Sarsur consumed ISIS propaganda on social media, made contact with a known Islamic State operative, pledged allegiance to the group, and considered himself a member. Authorities seized Islamic State-related materials during his arrest, and he had also spread Islamic State content to others in Kafr Qasim. He reportedly attempted twice to reach Syria via Turkey to join the group, but failed.
As previously reported, a reserve officer from Battalion 5016 was moderately wounded in the Hebron Hills attack. The IDF said the terrorist arrived by car, tried to ram a group of soldiers, got out, attempted to stab one of them, and was then neutralized.