AT least one person has died in a suspected terror attack at a busy bus station in Israel as the knifeman shouted “Allahu Akbar” before getting gunned down.
A 70-year-old man was tragically killed in the northern city of Haifa and three critically injured – including a 15-year-old boy – in the rush hour knife horror.
AFPMembers of Israeli security and emergency services deploy at the site of the attack[/caption]
APIsraeli security forces secure the scene of a stabbing attack in Haifa[/caption]
AFPMembers of Israeli security and emergency services deploy at the site of a stabbing attack at a central bus station in Haifa[/caption]
The knifeman was shot dead by a security guard but Hamas immediately hailed him a hero and called for copycat strikes across Israel.
The attacker reportedly began shouting “Allahu Akbar” before launching the heinous attack near a shopping centre on Histadrut Boulevard in the northern coastal city.
An eyewitness told news site Walla: “He got off the bus at the Hamifratz station, shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ and started stabbing people.”
The attacker, who cops said was an Israeli citizen without disclosing more details about his identity, was killed at the scene by a security guard shortly after launching the stabbing spree.
An inflammatory rant was issued after Hamas rejected a US brokered peace plan to end the 15-month Gaza war and release all 59 remaining hostages – of whom just 24 are alive.
Hamas said: “The heroic stabbing operation in Haifa is a natural response to the crimes of the occupation, and an affirmation that the resistance will continue until its demise.
“We congratulate the heroic operation carried out by one of our people’s heroes at the central bus station in the city of Haifa…”
Meanwhile Prime Minister Netanyahu paid tribute to the man who was tragically killed in the suspected terror attack.
He said in a statement: “We will continue to fight those who seek to take our lives everywhere – and we will defeat them.”
It comes as Israel sits on the brink of all-out war with terrorist group after phase one of the hostage deal passed – but with no further agreement following.
The 42-day first phase expired on Saturday, with US diplomats suggesting another temporary deal while terms for a second phase are thrashed out.
Over the weekend, Donald Trump’s peace envoy Steve Witkoff proposed to extend the ceasefire for the next 50 days to include Ramadan and Passover.
The deal would see half of the living and dead hostages released on the first day, with the rest released at the end if an agreement about a permanent ceasefire were to be reached.
Hamas rejected the proposal as Israeli Defence Forces troops, tanks and warplane prepared to resume hostilities.
A statement from Netanyahu’s office said: “Israel will not allow a ceasefire without the release of our hostages.
“If Hamas continues its refusal, there will be further consequences.”
After Hamas refused to agree to a ceasefire extension, Israel blocked the entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The terrorist group, which says it wants stage two of the deal to go ahead, said blocking supplies was “cheap blackmail”.
The World Food Programme said: “Humanitarian assistance has to continue to flow into Gaza.
“It’s very essential.
“And we are calling all parties to make sure that they reach a solution.”
ON OCTOBER 7, 2023, Hamas launched a brutal surprise attack on Israel, marking one of the darkest days in the nation’s history.
Terrorists stormed across the border from Gaza, killing over 1,200 people — most of them civilians — and kidnapping 250 others, including women, children, and the elderly.
The coordinated assault saw heavily armed fighters infiltrate Israeli towns, kibbutzim, and military bases, unleashing indiscriminate violence.
Innocent families were slaughtered in their homes, and graphic footage of the atrocities spread across social media, leaving the world in shock.
And as well as attacking people in their homes, they stormed the Nova music peace festival – killing at least 364 people there alone.
The massacre triggered a swift and massive retaliatory response from Israel, escalating into a full-scale war.
The attack not only reignited long-standing tensions in the region but also left deep scars on both sides of the conflict, setting the stage for the 15 months of devastation that followed.
The Mega AgencyIsraeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas refused to agree to a ceasefire extension, leaving Israel no choice but to halt vital supplies[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
