Two Israelis were killed and five others were wounded on Sunday night in a terrorist attack in the coastal city of Hadera.
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According to available information, two gunmen armed with automatic weapons opened fire on passersby and a bus on Herbert Samuel Street in Hadera. The terrorists were eliminated by undercover police officers who happened to be dining nearby.
The Israel Police confirmed that three officers were wounded in the incident, adding that "undercover officers who were in the area engaged the gunmen and after a short firefight, neutralized them."
A police official told Channel 12 News that the terrorists, identified as Iman Agbaria and Ibrahim Agbaria, were residents of the northern Arab town of Umm al-Fahm. They were found to be in possession of three firearms, three knives, over 1,000 bullets, and binoculars.
A video circulating on social media showed both praying and embracing in front of an Islamic State flag before the attack. Ibrahim Agbaria was arrested in Turkey in 2016 over an attempt to join ISIS forces in Syria.
The police later confirmed that the officers who engaged the terrorists were, in fact, the deputy commander of the police counterterrorism unit in Judea and Samaria and two of his senior officers. The unit, formed in the early 1990s, works closely with the military and Border Police's counterterrorism units in the area, as well as with the Shin Bet, the police said in a statement.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was said to be making his way to the scene. Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai and Public Security Minister Omer Barlev arrived there shortly after 9 p.m. and were briefed on the efforts to secure the area, as well as on the canvass for additional suspects by police helicopters and ground units.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz called a security situation assessment following the deadly terror attack.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, Head of Military Intelligence Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, and Shabtai, were among those Gantz called, the Defense Ministry said.
In a statement issued on Sunday night, Gantz said the IDF "and all other security forces are on alert with all of the measures necessary to restore calm and ensure the public security on all fronts. We will act aggressively against terrorism and terrorists, and we will advance the continued reinforcement of troops in the field."
A spokesperson for Magen David Adom emergency services said that "at 8:43 p.m. [local time], the MDA 101 call center received a report of five people wounded on Herbert Samuel Street in Hadera. MDA paramedics are providing medical treatment and are evacuating the wounded to Hillel Yaffe Medical Center. Three men are in moderate condition and are fully conscious."
The Hillel Yaffe Medical Center said that it admitted two people in serious condition, one in moderate condition, and three who suffered minor injuries.
The report further cited an unnamed official as saying that the terrorist attack was most likely planned to coincide with the historic Negev Summit that began this evening in Sde Boker, in southern Israel.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said in a tweet that he had updated his counterparts from the US, Bahrain, Morocco, Egypt, and the UAE about the terrorist attack in Hadera.
"All the foreign ministers denounced the terrorist attack and asked to send condolences to the families and wishes for the recovery of the wounded," he said.
"Tonight's heinous terrorist attack is an attempt by extremists to unravel the fabric of life here. Israel will fight terrorism with determination and we will stand steadfast with our allies against anyone who tries to harm us," he continued. "I send my condolences to the families of the victims and wish the wounded a speedy recovery."
The Umm al-Fahm Municipality issued a statement saying it was "deeply shocked by this terrible act. We denounce it and any act of violence. We send the families of the victims our condolences and wish the wounded a speedy recovery."
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The Gaza-based terrorist groups lauded the attack, hailing the terrorists as "heroes" and "martyrs" but stopped short of claiming the gunmen as their own.
Hamas, the terrorist group that rules the coastal enclave, issued a statement saying, "We commend the courage of the perpetrators of this heroic operation, which comes as retaliation for the blood of the martyrs, and in response to the aggression and terror of the occupation."
Islamic Jihad praised the attack, saying, "The self-sacrificing Hadera operation came in response to the summit of humiliation and shame in the occupied Negev."
