2022 El'ad stabbing

{{Short description|2022 terrorist attack on civilians in El'ad, Israel}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}{{Infobox civilian attack

| title = 2022 El'ad stabbing

| location = El'ad, Israel

| date = {{start date and age|2022|05|05|df=y}}

| partof = the Israeli–Palestinian conflict

| map = {{Location map|Israel center ta|caption=|float=center}}

|map_caption=The attack site

| native_name = הפיגוע באלעד

| native_name_lang = he

| coordinates = {{coords|32|03|08|N|34|57|24|E|display=inline,title}}

| time = 20:35 pm

| type = Mass stabbing

| weapon = Axe

| fatalities = 4 civilians

| injuries = 3 civilians

| numparts = 2

}}

On 5 May 2022, a terror attack took place in El'ad, Central District, Israel, during Israel's Independence Day (Yom Ha'atzmaut). Four civilians were murdered and several others were injured.{{Cite web |title=Terror victim succumbs to injuries 8 months after Independence Day attack |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/terror-victim-succumbs-to-injuries-8-months-after-independence-day-attack/ |access-date=2023-02-02 |website=Times of Israel |language= |archive-date=24 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230924083512/https://www.timesofisrael.com/terror-victim-succumbs-to-injuries-8-months-after-independence-day-attack/ |url-status=live }}

Israeli Police identified the perpetrators as two Palestinians from Rummanah, West Bank.{{Cite web |last=Shoval |first=Lilach |last2=Doron |first2=Yaron |last3=Morag |first3=Tamir |last4=Dvir |first4=Noam |date=2022-05-06 |title=Victims of Elad attack named as manhunt for terrorists continues |url=https://www.israelhayom.com/2022/05/06/police-ask-public-for-help-locating-perpetrators-of-elad-independence-day-attack/ |access-date=2022-05-06 |website=Israel Hayom |archive-date=6 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506055822/https://www.israelhayom.com/2022/05/06/police-ask-public-for-help-locating-perpetrators-of-elad-independence-day-attack/ |url-status=live }} They were captured on 8 May.{{Cite news |last=Breiner |first=Josh |date=8 May 2022 |title=Israel Nabs Palestinians Who Murdered Three Israelis |work=Haaretz |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-nabs-palestinians-suspected-of-murdering-three-israelis-1.10785347 |url-status=live |access-date=8 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220509051419/https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-nabs-palestinians-suspected-of-murdering-three-israelis-1.10785347 |archive-date=9 May 2022}}

Background

In the weeks preceding the stabbing, Palestinians and Israeli Arabs had perpetrated a string of deadly attacks in Israel, making it the deadliest period since 2006.{{Cite news |date=5 May 2022 |title=Elad attack: Three dead in central Israeli city |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-61339751 |url-status=live |access-date=5 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506015117/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-61339751 |archive-date=6 May 2022}} A week before the attack, two Hamas supporters from Nablus murdered a security guard in Ariel. While the search for the murderers was still going on by the Israeli Police, Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, made a public speech where he encouraged the Palestinian and Israeli Arabs to "raise every possible weapon, will it be a rifle, a pistol, or a knife" against Israelis.[https://www.mako.co.il/news-military/2022_q2/Article-c08be1a6fd59081026.htm ימים לפני הפיגוע באלעד: סינוואר קרא לפלסטינים לאחוז בנשק] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506070930/https://www.mako.co.il/news-military/2022_q2/Article-c08be1a6fd59081026.htm |date=6 May 2022 }}, N12 News, May 5th 2022

Attack

The attackers arrived at Shlomo Ibn Gbirol street at 20:35 local time, holding axes and a pistol.{{Cite web |last1=Tal |first1=Amir |last2=Salman |first2=Abeer |last3=Schwartz |first3=Mike |last4=Gotkine |first4=Elliot |author-link4=Elliott Gotkine |last5=Gold |first5=Hadas |author-link5=Hadas Gold |date=6 May 2022 |title=At least three killed in suspected terror attack in Israel |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/05/middleeast/israel-terror-attack-elad-intl/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505205303/https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/05/middleeast/israel-terror-attack-elad-intl/index.html |archive-date=5 May 2022 |access-date=6 May 2022 |website=CNN}} They encountered a security guard, who tried to stop them but was killed by the attackers.[https://www.maariv.co.il/news/israel/Article-915828 שלושה נרצחים ושני פצועים קשה בפיגוע באלעד; מתנהל מצוד אחר המחבלים] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506071301/https://www.maariv.co.il/news/israel/Article-915828 |date=6 May 2022 }}, Maariv, May 6th 2022 (in Hebrew) They then arrived at the nearby central park in El'ad, which was full of visitors who came to celebrate the 74th Independence Day of Israel, and began to attack them, killing two more men and wounding four more.

Two of the killed victims were in their 40s, while the third victim was a 35-year-old man. A fourth victim, a 75-year-old man, succumbed to his wounds in February 2023, eight months after the attack. A 60-year-old man and a 35-year-old man suffered serious injuries. Fighting the attackers, a 40-year-old man was moderately injured and a 23-year-old man lightly injured.

Assailants

The two assailants were identified by the Israeli Police as As'ad Alrafa'ani (20) and Sabhi Shajir (19) from Rummanah, near Jenin in the West Bank. Both escaped in a vehicle after the attack.{{Cite news |date=6 May 2022 |title='Pay the price': Israel hunts attackers who hacked 3 to death |work=Al Jazeera |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/6/pay-the-price-israel-hunts-attackers-who-killed-3-in-stabbings |url-status=live |access-date=6 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506190558/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/6/pay-the-price-israel-hunts-attackers-who-killed-3-in-stabbings |archive-date=6 May 2022}} After two days of searching, they were caught hiding in a nearby forest, between Elad and Rosh HaAyin, by two Shin Bet agents and an officer from Maglan commando unit.[https://www.israelhayom.co.il/news/defense/article/10679859 כתם הדם, חזרת הכוחות לשטח והזיהוי מתוך השיחים: כך נתפסו המחבלים מהפיגוע באלעד] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115213207/https://www.israelhayom.co.il/news/defense/article/10679859 |date=15 November 2022 }}, Israel Hayom, 8 May 2022

Reactions

The President of the State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, said that "The killing of Palestinians and Israelis only leads to a further deterioration in the situation at a time when we are all begging to achieve stability and prevent escalation".{{Cite news |last=Levy |first=Elior |date=May 6, 2022 |title=אבו מאזן גינה את הפיגוע באלעד |website=ynet |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/sj00wutz8c |access-date=5 May 2022 |archive-date=5 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505223343/https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/sj00wutz8c |url-status=live }}

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a press briefing that the US "vehemently condemns" the "horrific attack targeting innocent men and women".

Hamas praised the attack, implying that it was in retaliation for recent clashes at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, while not claiming responsibility.{{Cite web |last=McKernan |first=Bethan |date=5 May 2022 |title=Three people killed and at least four injured in attack in Israeli town of Elad |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/05/three-people-killed-and-at-least-four-injured-in-attack-at-israeli-town-of-elad |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505214929/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/05/three-people-killed-and-at-least-four-injured-in-attack-at-israeli-town-of-elad |archive-date=5 May 2022 |access-date=5 May 2022 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=5 May 2022 |title=Hamas applauds terror attack in Elad |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hamas-applauds-terror-attack-in-elad/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505212904/https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hamas-applauds-terror-attack-in-elad/ |archive-date=5 May 2022 |access-date=5 May 2022 |website=The Times of Israel |publisher= |language=en-US}} Palestinian Islamic Jihad also praised the attack.{{Cite web |date=5 May 2022 |title=Three killed in attack in central Israel's Elad |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220505-three-killed-in-attack-in-central-israel-s-elad |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506000623/https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220505-three-killed-in-attack-in-central-israel-s-elad |archive-date=6 May 2022 |access-date=5 May 2022 |website=France 24 |language=en}}

Some Palestinians in Nablus, Tulkarm, Gaza City and Khan Yunis celebrated the attack, handing out candies to passers-by.{{Cite web |last=Halevi |first=Dalit |date=6 May 2022 |title='We came to slaughter you': Palestinian Arabs celebrate Elad terror attack |url=https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/327053 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506192909/https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/327053 |archive-date=6 May 2022 |access-date=6 May 2022 |website=Israel National News |language=en}} A video encouraging the murder of Jews with an axe circulated on a Palestinian Telegram channel.

In Yemen, the Houthis celebrated the attack.{{Cite news |last=Frantzman |first=Seth J. |date=7 May 2022 |title=Yemen's Houthis celebrate terror attack in Israel |work=The Jerusalem Post |url=https://m.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-706063/amp |url-status=live |access-date=9 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220509180329/https://m.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-706063/amp |archive-date=9 May 2022}}

World leaders - including the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken - condemned the attack and expressed their condolences.{{Cite web |title=בלינקן גינה את הפיגוע באלעד: "ליבנו עם הקורבנות ויקיריהם" |url=https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/Article-915869 |access-date=2024-01-26 |website=www.maariv.co.il |archive-date=29 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230429005003/https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/Article-915869 |url-status=live }}