2 Ukrainians, heroic cop, young father among victims in Bnei Brak terror attack

One victim, survived by his pregnant wife and toddler, was killed while shielding his two-year-old son in his stroller. 

By World Israel News Staff

Two Ukrainian nationals were among the five people killed by a Palestinian terrorist in a shooting attack in Bnei Brak on Tuesday evening.

In surveillance footage from the scene, the two men are seen sitting at a table in front of a local bodega. The terrorist approaches the pair and shoots them multiple times, using an automatic weapon at point blank range.

One of the men is blown out of his chair and onto the sidewalk due to the force of the shots.

For unknown reasons, the terrorist leaves the scene and returns around 20 seconds later. He then fires yet another spray of bullets into the bodies of the two men, who were clearly dead.

While the names of the men have not been made public, Israeli authorities said they were 23 and 32 years old.

The length of time they had been in Israel and their immigration status — if they were foreign workers or refugees fleeing the Russian invasion — was unknown as of press time.

Ukraine’s embassy in Israel released a statement via their official social media channels condemning the “heinous” attack.

“With deep sorrow, we confirm that two citizens of Ukraine were among the victims,” the Embassy wrote.

“We express our condolences and sympathies to the families of the deceased. The [uptick] in violence and terrorism is unacceptable and it must be stopped.”

The three other men killed in the attack have been identified as Yaakov Shalom, 36, Rabbi Avishai Yehezkel, 30, and Arab Christian police officer Amir Khoury, 32.

Shalom, shot at point blank range while driving by the terrorist, was the father of five children.

Yehezkel, according to Hebrew-language media reports, was killed while shielding his two-year-old son in his stroller. He is survived by his widow, who is eight months pregnant, and his son, who was unharmed in the attack.

Khoury reportedly charged the gunman and was fatally shot, though he apparently managed to strike the terrorist. His partner also shot the terrorist, ending the deadly spree.

Arab terrorBnei BrakIsrael-Ukraine relationsPalestinian terror