Man wounded in Israel stabbing attack dies: hospital

Man wounded in Israel stabbing attack dies: hospital
An Israeli police officer aims his weapon from a vehicle following a suspected stabbing attack in Hadera, Israel, on Oct. 9, 2024. (Reuters)

JERUSALEM — A man wounded in a stabbing rampage in the Israeli town of Hadera has died of his wounds, the hospital where he was being treated said on Thursday.

Rafael Mordechai Fishof was one of the six people wounded in what police called a “terrorist attack” on Wednesday in four locations of Hadera, before the assailant was “neutralized.”

“Unfortunately, despite the efforts of the medical team, the injured person was pronounced dead,” said a statement from the Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera, where Fishof had been admitted.

“Yesterday, at the hospital, we prayed for his recovery and now our hearts are broken by this difficult news,” Hadera mayor Nir Ben Haim said in a statement, referring to Fishof, 35, a father of six.

Palestinian militant group Hamas, with which Israeli forces are locked in a fierce war in Gaza, praised the Hadera attack, calling it a “heroic stabbing operation.”

Hamas also called for “more painful strikes against the occupation (Israel).”

Israeli authorities have not provided information about the suspect but Israeli media identified him as Ahmad Jabareen, 36, an Israeli citizen from the Arab town of Umm Al-Fahm.

The Hadera attack came more than a week after seven people were killed in a shooting and stabbing claimed by Hamas in the Israeli commercial hub Tel Aviv.

Palestinian militants have carried out several attacks on Israelis since October 7 last year, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, sparking war in Gaza.

AN-AFP