Two Israeli civilians were killed and at least two others injured in a violent attack in northern Israel on Friday, 26 December 2025, according to police. The assailant, identified as a Palestinian man, carried out a combined car-ramming and stabbing assault.
Details of the Deadly Attack
The incident began in the afternoon in the city of Beit Shean. The attacker deliberately drove his vehicle into pedestrians, killing one man and injuring a teenage boy. He then fled the scene, speeding onto a highway towards the nearby city of Afula.
Near the entrance to Afula, the assailant exited his car and fatally stabbed a young woman, also injuring another person. Security forces intervened at this location, and the attacker was shot. Paramedics from Israel's emergency service pronounced both victims dead at the scene.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later named the victims as teenager Aviv Maor and 68-year-old Shimshon Mordechai. President Isaac Herzog condemned the "horrific killing spree," pledging to bolster security in the area for resident safety.
Immediate Military Response Ordered
In a swift reaction, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered military forces to amass near the Palestinian town of Qabatiya in the occupied West Bank. Katz stated the assailant was from that town and instructed troops to "act forcefully and immediately" against what he labelled terrorist infrastructure there.
"Anyone who aids or sponsors terrorism will pay the full price," Katz declared. This response aligns with a common Israeli practice of launching raids or demolishing homes in the West Bank localities of attackers, a policy Israel says deters future assaults but which rights groups condemn as collective punishment.
Broader Context of Rising Violence
The attack occurs amidst a significant surge in violence in Israel and the West Bank since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on 7 October 2023. That conflict, sparked by a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel, has resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths in Gaza and heightened tensions regionally.
Recent weeks have seen increased Israeli military activity around Qabatiya and Jenin. Notably, on 20 December, the Israeli military reported killing a person in Qabatiya who allegedly hurled a block at soldiers. Palestinian media later aired footage prompting an army review, as it appeared to show the individual being shot without throwing anything.
This latest attack echoes other recent tragedies, including a September shooting at a Jerusalem bus stop that killed six people. The ongoing cycle of violence continues to pose severe challenges to security and stability in the region.
