Palestinian kills two in northern Israel: authorities
A Palestinian attacker ran over a man and stabbed a woman to death, Israeli emergency services reported.
In the statement made by the Israeli police, it was stated that the attacker, who came from the occupied West Bank, was shot and injured by a civilian at the scene and was taken to hospital.
“This was a sustained terrorist attack,” police added.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he had instructed the army to respond strongly to prevent further attacks in the West Bank town of Qabaitya, where he said the attacker came from.
The Israeli army said it was “preparing for an operation” in the region.
⭕️A maul and knife attack was carried out in the Beit She’an region, and later in Ein Harod and Afula. The terrorist appears to be an unauthorized person who infiltrated Israel a few days ago. Israel Defense Forces units were dispatched to the scene and situationally…— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) December 26, 2025
The Israeli ambulance service said a teenager was also injured in the attack and the man and woman were pronounced dead at the scene after paramedics were unable to resuscitate them.
On Thursday, the Israeli military said an Israeli reservist rammed his vehicle into a Palestinian man who was praying on the side of the road in the occupied West Bank after having previously opened fire on the area.
In its statement, the Israeli army stated that “footage was taken of an armed person running over a Palestinian person” and added that the person was a reserve and his military service was terminated.
The military said the reservist acted in “serious violation of his authority” and his weapon was seized.
Israeli media reported that he was under house arrest.
The Palestinian man went to the hospital for checks after the attack, but was uninjured and is now at home.
In the video broadcast on Palestinian television and verified by Reuters, a man in civilian clothes carrying a gun on his shoulder is seen driving his all-terrain vehicle towards a man praying on the side of the road.
This year was one of the most violent Israeli attacks in history on civilians against Palestinians in the West Bank, according to United Nations data showing more than 750 injuries.
According to the UN, more than a thousand Palestinians were killed in the West Bank between October 7, 2023 and October 17, 2025, mostly in operations by security forces, some by settler violence.
During the same period, 57 Israelis were killed in Palestinian attacks.
