Car-ramming attack in central Israel: Seven people were injured this Thursday morning when a vehicle hit a bus stop at the entrance to Kfar Yona near the Beit Lid intersection on Route 57 near Netanya.
The driver of the car rammed into the bus stop and fled the scene in the vehicle. Police subsequently launched a manhunt for the driver, assisted by police helicopter. The crossings in the area, including the road leading to Tulkarm, have been closed.
The vehicle, a white Toyota with Israeli license plates, was later located, but the driver was missing, according to police. Police sappers and forensics officers are examining the vehicle to collect additional findings
At this stage, the hunt continues for the suspect who fled the vehicle, with police officers from the station and the area searching along the roads and in open areas, with the assistance of helicopters from the Israel Police Air Unit, motorcycles from the YSM and the canine unit, according to the Israel Police.
In addition, the Central Command has instructed to immediately activate all the alert teams in the nearby communities.
Two of the injured are in moderate condition, 3 in light-moderate condition and 3 in light condition. Hours after the attack, the injured were identified as IDF soldiers.
The report of the collision was received by MDA's 101 hotline at 9:25 a.m. The police said that the details are being investigated.
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Police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Aryeh Doron told Ynet: "We are talking about a suspected terrorist incident at the entrance to Kfar Yona, close to the Beit Lid intersection. A vehicle arrived and hit several people, and fled the scene. Police Commissioner Danny Levy conducted an initial assessment of the situation. Many police forces are currently busy locating the perpetrator."
Kinneret Hanuka, an eyewitness to the attack, said: "I was driving ahead of the terrorist and he cut me off. It wasn't pleasant. He caught the pedestrians and in a second cut me off . I was simply scared, everyone there was lying ont he ground. He stopped short and then kept driving, I quickly opened the car and wanted to help them."
Kfar Yona Mayor Albert Taib said: "This is a very worrying event. We have long asked highway company Netivei Yisrael to put up poles at this station in order to prevent incidents like the one that happened now. Netivei Yisrael said it was unsafe, so they refused to put up the poles. We watched what happened here, and unfortunately Netivei Yisrael is still alone in its thinking."
Eitan Glickman, Elisha Ben Kimon and Sharon Kidon contributed to this article
First published: 09:43, 07.24.25