According to Magen David Adom, a report was received at 12:31 p.m. at the MDA 101 call center in the Gilboa region about an injured woman on Route 71 near Kibbutz Ein Harod.
The woman, 19, had been run over and then stabbed. She was later pronounced dead at HaEmek Medical Center in Afula and identified as Aviv Maor from Ein Harod.
Shortly before, a man aged 68, identified later as Shimshon Mordechai, was fatally struck by a vehicle in Beit She’an in what police called a terrorist attack. A 16-year-old boy was attacked in a separate ramming incident in the city and was reported to have light injuries. A 37-year-old man was later wounded when the terrorist got out of his car and hit him with a rock outside Afula.
The single assailant in all four attacks — identified as a 37-year-old Palestinian man from Qabatiya, near Jenin — fled in his employer’s car after the attack on Route 71 toward Kibbutz Tel Yosef and was later shot and killed at the entrance to the city of Afula, police said. He had been working illegally in Israel, the Kan public broadcaster reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement expressing condolences to the families of the two victims, a speedy recovery to the wounded and support for “the heroic citizen who neutralized the terrorist.”
“While there have been many successful counter-terrorism operations over the past year, we unfortunately experience murderous attacks from time to time,” he said. “The Government of Israel will continue to act to thwart anyone who seeks to harm its citizens.”
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz instructed the IDF to act forcefully against the village from which the murderous terrorist emerged.
“Every terrorist must be located and neutralized, and terrorist infrastructure in the village must be struck,” Katz said. “Anyone who assists terrorism or provides sponsorship or backing for terrorism will pay the full price.”
He added, “My heart is with the bereaved families at this most difficult hour. I send my deepest condolences and strengthen them in the face of this unimaginable loss. I wish to commend the security forces who acted swiftly, resolutely and professionally, and who neutralized the terrorist.”
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For the second time this month, mezuzahs affixed to the doorways of Jewish homes in Toronto have been stolen in what police say they are investigating as a potential hate crime.
Just after noon on Dec. 25, the Toronto Police Service was notified of four mezuzahs that were taken from door frames for four condo units in a building on Bayview in the suburban neighbourhood of North York.
A mezuzah is a small tube affixed outside and often within the home that holds a prayer scroll.
A spokesperson told National Post via email that an investigation is already underway and the TPS hate crime unit has been notified.
“This is the first time officers have been called to this location for this type of incident,” the spokesperson wrote.
In early December, a similar incident occurred at a nearby community housing building, where about 20 mezuzahs, mostly belonging to seniors from the Russian Jewish community, were removed or vandalized.
That incident is still under investigation. It’s not immediately clear if the two are connected.
I'm sure they are.
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