A man in his 50s was critically wounded in a stabbing incident on Thursday afternoon at a coffee shop at Beit Kama junction.
First responders rushed the victim to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva, performing resuscitation efforts en route. The terrorist, a 22-year-old resident of the southern city of Rahat, snuck up behind the victim and stabbed him. The victim managed to shoot and neutralize him. Another man, 65, sustained light injuries during the attack.
Noa, an eyewitness to the incident, reported seeing "someone lying on the floor." She said, "I was in a corner and didn't really see what was happening, we heard commotion. I thought it was a brawl. I didn't realize I had to run. My partner ran away."
Her partner, Lior, recounted, "We were sitting together, eating at a coffee shop, when suddenly we heard screaming coming from the entrance. We thought it was a fight, but quickly realized it was more serious. About 20 people ran out and lay on the floor. A few seconds later, there we heard several gunshots. I always wondered what I'd do in case of an attack."
The Merchavim Regional Council reported, "Police and security forces are on site, along with municipal patrol units. An alertness enhancement directive has been issued to the alert squads and school security guards."
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Senior Magen David Adom (MDA) ambulance service paramedic Kalman Ginzburg, who arrived at the scene, recounted, "We arrived with large forces, encountered much commotion, and found a man about 50 years old near one of the stores, unconscious with multiple penetrating traumas. We immediately transported him to an MDA intensive care ambulance and evacuated him to the hospital in critical condition while performing life-saving measures."
On Wednesday, a 25-year-old security guard and a 20-year-old IDF soldier sustained light to moderate injuries in a stabbing attack at the Tunnel Checkpoint on Highway 60, at the southern entrance to Jerusalem.
The attacker, Muhammed Abu Hamed, a 15-year-old from the nearby Palestinian village of al-Khader, was shot dead by a soldier and a civilian security guard.
The IDF and internal security service Shin Bet announced on Monday night they successfully eliminated a terrorist in the northern West Bank, who was reportedly planning an imminent major attack in the heart of Israel.
The operation involved the elite Duvdevan unit and Shin Bet agents in the village of Zeita, near the northern West Bank town of Arraba, close to Jenin.
The suspect, 34-year-old Mohammed Jaber was confronted while he was in a local grocery store. Upon being asked to exit the store, Jaber attempted to draw a weapon but was swiftly neutralized by security forces.
Officials said that Jaber was preparing to cross into Israeli territory, armed with both a firearm and an explosive device ready for detonation, with the intent to carry out an attack.
The police and Border Police are bracing for possible escalations during Ramadan, particularly before Friday's main prayers. The IDF Central Command has readied 23 army battalions and multiple Border Police units, aiming to maintain freedom of worship on the Temple Mount for Palestinians and Israeli Arabs during Ramadan.
Security forces are already positioned in key areas, crossings and around Jerusalem, with hopes for a peaceful first Friday, setting a precedent for the rest of the month.
Meanwhile, Hamas is attempting to stoke tensions during Ramadan, calling on Palestinian youths on Thursday to "urgently defend Al-Aqsa."