Israeli Killed, Several Injured during Weekend of Terror

October 31, 2022

by: Ilse Strauss

Monday, 31 October 2022 | Israel experienced yet another weekend marred by terror attacks in which one Israeli was killed and several were injured.

The most deadly attack came on Saturday night when a Palestinian terrorist opened fire on Ronen and Daniel Hanania, a father and his son on a shopping trip between Hebron and the neighboring community of Kiryat Arba. The pair was making their way back to their car after exiting a convenience store when the terrorist struck, shooting them both.

The gunman then waited patiently for the first responders and security guards to arrive, opening fire on them too.

A local security officer who had reached the scene by car managed to ram the terrorist with his vehicle, after which an off-duty soldier shot and killed him.

Fifty-year-old Ronen was critically injured in the shooting and pronounced dead after his arrival at the hospital in Jerusalem. He would have turned 51 on Wednesday. His son, Daniel, suffered mild injuries.

Three other people were also injured in the attack, with one—Magan David Adom medic Ofer Ohana—in serious condition. Ohana was hit when he and his partner arrived at the scene of the attack to attend to the wounded.

Palestinian media proudly identified the terrorist as Muhammed Kamel al-Jabari, a member of the Hamas terror group that rules the Gaza Strip. Muhammed’s brother, Waal, had been serving a life sentence in an Israeli prison before he was freed in the 2011 Gilad Shalit prisoner swap deal and deported to Gaza.

The news that a Jew was murdered in a terror attack prompted jubilant celebration among the local Palestinian population. Videos and images shared on social media show sweet treats being dolled out to drivers in Hebron to revel in the bloodshed, triumphant dancing and colorful fireworks lighting up the night sky.

The rest of Saturday evening passed with stone throwing and shots fired at Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops from a passing vehicle.

Then, on Sunday afternoon, a Palestinian terrorist plowed his vehicle into Israeli soldiers at two locations south of Jericho. The driver first rammed into a group of soldiers near the spot that Palestinians revere as the tomb of Moses, before speeding off and slamming into a nearby bus station. A police officer and an armed civilian fired at the attacker, incapacitating him. He was taken to hospital in Jerusalem, where he succumbed to his wounds.

Five IDF soldiers were injured in the attack, two moderately and the rest lightly.

Tensions in Judea and Samaria or the so-called West Bank have been simmering dangerously close to boiling point for a few months now, with terrorists targeting military posts, troops and civilians a frequent occurrence. The heightened tensions—and terror attacks—come against the backdrop of an anti-terror offensive launched by the IDF in the spring to crack down on a deadly terror wave in which 19 Israelis were murdered. Aimed at capturing would-be terrorists before they can strike, Operation Break the Wave has netted more than 2,000 arrests in near-nightly raids over nearly eight months.

Posted on October 31, 2022

Source: (Bridges for Peace, October 31, 2022)

Photo Credit: bridgesforpeace.com