At least 10 individuals were hurt in a car-ramming assault on Karkur Junction, south of Haifa, on Thursday. The Israeli police have determined the incident to be a “terror attack” and also confirmed that the suspect has been arrested.
The suspect, a 24-year-old Arab Israeli from Ma’ale Iron, drove a car into a crowd of pedestrians at a bus stop before trying to ram a police car nearby, police reports said. The officers chased the suspect, stopping the car and arresting him.
The terrorist is in the hands of the police. He has been neutralized,” a police officer said to Channel 12 news. Two of the victims are in critical condition.
Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, welcomed the attack as a “natural, heroic response” to Israeli military campaigns in the West Bank. The attack was “a response to the brutal aggression and repeated crimes of the occupation,” especially in northern governorates, Hamas stated in a message. The organization also alluded to tensions regarding the Al-Aqsa and Ibrahimi Mosques.
Israeli officials are questioning the suspect’s past and possible affiliations. The attack occurs during increased tensions in the region, with repeated occurrences of violence between Israeli security forces and Palestinian militant groups. Security has been bolstered in north Israel as officials evaluate the situation.
