Residents of two central Israeli communities were told to shelter in their homes for more than two hours Sunday after a shooting attack by an Israeli Arab man left one person dead and five others wounded, including two seriously.
The attack was carried out by Omar Yassin, an Israeli citizen from the nearby Arab city of Taibe, officials said. Police initially searched for a suspected second attacker but later ruled out that possibility.
Terrorist opens fire at security guard
The shooting began at a gas station at the entrance to Kochav Yair, northeast of Tel Aviv, before the attacker continued toward Tzur Natan and Tzur Yitzhak, where he also opened fire. Footage from the scene showed bloodstains on the floor of a McDonald’s, where one of the wounded entered after being shot at the gas station.
Shahar Hazon, from Kfar Saba, said she was on her way to an Aroma cafe near the gas station when she heard gunfire.
“It started with the sound of five shots, one after another,” she said. “We didn’t understand where it was coming from. We thought maybe it was from the road, but it turned out it was right next to me, at McDonald’s.”
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Bloodstains on the floor of a McDonald’s, where one of the wounded entered after being shot at the gas station
(Photo: Ido Erez)
She said the attacker “managed to leave the scene without being neutralized.”
“The feeling is existential fear,” she said. “I understand it was a matter of great luck that I didn’t take that bullet, because it was very close to me.”
Police Commissioner Danny Levy said at the scene that the attack was over. “A terrorist, a resident of Taibe, set out to carry out a killing spree inside the State of Israel,” Levy said. “Police officers quickly identified that this was a terror attack, and the entire system was put on alert, which led to his rapid neutralization.”
Levy said the attacker had a minor criminal record and was not currently known to police for security-related offenses. He said authorities were examining the attacker’s family and background. “We’ll leave no stone unturned,” he said.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir praised the officers who responded, saying they acted with determination and engaged with the attacker. “Without going into details, the man who was killed is a hero of Israel,” Ben-Gvir said. “This is what we want: a terrorist dead at the scene.”
After the shooting, sirens warning of a possible infiltration by attackers sounded in Tzur Yitzhak and nearby Tzur Natan. Residents were ordered to remain indoors as police, soldiers and other security forces searched the area.
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The shooting began at a gas station at the entrance to Kochav Yair
(Photo: Tal Shahar)
Ron, a resident of Tzur Natan, said children in schools were sent into shelters. “Everything happened in an instant,” he said. “Suddenly they told us there was concern about terrorists and sounded sirens. Everyone in the schools is waiting for instructions.”
A resident of Tzur Yitzhak who spoke to ynet said the community had long felt unsafe because of repeated gunfire heard from the direction of Taibe. “Many residents warn about this again and again and report it to police,” she said. “The feeling is that there is no enforcement.”
Oshrat Gani Gonen, head of the South Sharon Regional Council, said security forces were still searching the area to ensure there was no further threat. “In the past, we warned about the seam line,” she said, referring to areas near the boundary between Israel and the West Bank. “But it appears this attack did not come from there.”
She said local communities must be able to defend themselves, adding that in such attacks, “the first to arrive is the local alert squad.”