A man was killed and five others were wounded Sunday in a suspected terrorist drive-by shooting attack that unfolded across several locations in central Israel, police and rescue officials said.
The shooting began at a gas station in Kochav Yair, northeast of Tel Aviv, and continued near the nearby community of Tzur Yitzhak and on Route 5533, close to the village of Tzur Natan.
First responders at one of the attack scenes
(Video: Magen David)
Police said one suspect, identified as Omar Yassin from the nearby Arab Israeli city of Taibe, was eliminated, and security forces were searching for others. A vehicle suspected of being used by the assailants was registered to a resident of Taibe.
Residents of Tzur Yitzhak were told to remain inside their homes after an alert warned of a possible infiltration by terrorists. Police said suspicions were growing that the attack was nationally motivated, a term authorities commonly use for Palestinian terrorist attacks.
Large police forces were sent to the scenes to collect evidence and search for suspects. The IDF and Shin Bet internal security service were also involved in the manhunt. Security forces were deployed to Taibe. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a situation assessment following the attack.
"Following reports of multiple shooting incidents, IDF soldiers, in coordination with the security forces, were dispatched to the areas of Sal'it and Tzur Yitzhak a short while ago. The terrorist was neutralized at the scene," the military said in a statement. "The soldiers, together with additional medical personnel, began extensive searches for additional terrorists and are providing medical treatment to the injured. Additional soldiers are on their way to the scene."
Authorities said two men were wounded at the Kochav Yair gas station, one seriously and one moderately. Another man was found moderately wounded at the entrance to Tzur Yitzhak. Two more victims were later found on Route 5533 near Tzur Natan, one critically wounded and another seriously wounded. The critically wounded man, about 30, was later pronounced dead.
The assailant also fired at the guard post of Sla’it, a nearby agricultural community. Its security coordinator returned fire, but the attacker fled.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service said it treated the victims and evacuated them to Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva and Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba.
“We received reports of several wounded at different scenes, including people wounded by gunfire,” said Magen David Adom paramedic Lior Zilberberg. “At the gas station near Kochav Yair, we began treating a man about 50 in serious condition and a man about 30 in moderate condition. At another scene, in Tzur Yitzhak, we treated a man about 30 who was wounded in the hand. At another scene, on Route 5533, we treated another man in critical condition and another wounded person who was evacuated in serious condition.”
Police spokesman Aryeh Doron said the incident was ongoing. “The suspicion is strengthening that this is a terrorist attack,” Doron said. “Several victims were evacuated from the scenes for medical treatment. One of the suspects is in our hands. We are talking about more than one person, and the incident is still unfolding.”
Ron, a resident of Tzur Yitzhak, said sirens sounded after residents were warned of a possible infiltration. “It happened in an instant,” he said. “Everyone went into their homes. We hope that after one terrorist was neutralized, the second will be caught soon. Schools were waiting for instructions.”