An Israeli German Druze citizen, yelling Allahu Akhbar, murdered an elderly man and wounded a number of others in the Lev HaLifratz Mall in Haifa, Israel Hayom reported.
By Rachel Avraham
An Israeli German Druze citizen murdered an elderly man and wounded a number of others in the Lev HaLifratz Mall in Haifa, Israel Hayom reported. According to the report, four additional stabbing victims were evacuated for treatment: a man and woman in their 30s and a 15-year-old boy, all in serious condition, and a woman around 70 in moderate condition. The terrorist was neutralized on site.
According to the Israel Security Agency Shin Bet, the terrorist has been identified as Yitro Shahin, a 20-year-old resident of Shefa-Amr who holds an Israeli citizenship, but who returned a month ago after spending an extensive period of time in Germany, Israel Hayom noted. An eyewitness at the scene told Israel Hayom: “The terrorist arrived from the north at the Shefa’amr station on a main road, got off one bus, and boarded bus 167 heading to the Haifa Central Bus Station. When he arrived at the central station, he got off the bus, began shouting ‘Allahu Akbar,’ and started stabbing people – until security forces arrived and neutralized the terrorist.”
Magen David Adom (MDA) EMTs and Paramedics pronounced Hassan Karim Dhamshe, a 70-year-old male from Kafr Kanna, dead at the scene, the Jerusalem Post noted. A police source told Ynet that Dhamshe was stabbed in the neck. The source added that a gunshot wound was also found in the Dhamshe’s foot, most likely obtained during the shooting of the terrorist.
According to the Jerusalem Post, Hamas released a statement praising the terror attack, calling it a “heroic operation.” The Palestinian terror group also called for acts of violence against Israel during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan: “In this blessed month, the month of victories and jihad, we call on the masses of our people in the West Bank, Jerusalem and the occupied interior to escalate the confrontation with the enemy, and engage with it by all possible means, as the resistance will continue until the liberation of the land and holy sites, the expulsion of the occupier and the establishment of the independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.”
Druze community leaders, who traditionally are allied with Israel, condemned the terror attack and were in shock that the perpetrator of the terror attack hailed from the Druze community. According to I24 News, the mayor of Shfar’am, Nahed Hazem, condemned the deadly terror attack and called it “a heinous crime.” Speaking to Israeli media, Hazem said that the relatives of the attacker Jethro Shahin who live in Shfar’am are “normative in every way,” adding that he does not know the terrorist personally.
“I understood from relatives that he has German citizenship and that he was in Germany for a year and only returned to Shfar’am less than a month ago. The extended family tells me that he is mentally unstable, but I have no documents to confirm this. We are all very surprised,” Hazem said.
According to Israel Hayom, Head of the Druze community in Israel Sheikh Mowafak Tarif issued a statement distancing the ethnic group from the murderous terror attack: “We strongly condemn the incident that occurred this morning and extend our condolences to the family of the murder victim, along with wishes for recovery to the wounded. This is an extremely difficult and unfortunate event. My heart goes out to the affected families. Before rushing to judgment, it is essential to wait for the facts to be thoroughly examined and for security forces to complete their investigation regarding the background, origin, circumstances, and the severe mental illness from which he reportedly suffered. Members of the Druze community fight against terrorism everywhere, and it should be noted that the citizens who participated in neutralizing the attacker were also members of the Druze community.”
The police commissioner and Minister Haim Katz, who serves as interim National Security Minister, held a situational assessment at the scene, Arutz Sheva reported. According to the report, Minister Katz stated: “The days that lay ahead are challenging. Israel Police and all emergency and rescue bodies are on high alert. With this, the public is asked to be vigilant and not to refrain from reporting a suspicious individual. I praise the security guards who confronted and neutralized the terrorist.”
