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3 Israelis slaughtered by axe-wielding terrorists in central Israel, manhunt ongoing

A manhunt is ongoing for the terrorists who reportedly fled the scene. Residents of the city were instructed to remain indoors.

By World Israel News Staff

Three people were murdered and four wounded Thursday evening in a terror attack in Elad, a small city in central Israel.

One of the names of victims has been released. Yonatan Havakuk, a father of ten who was on his way to a local park, was brutally murdered in cold blood.

Two victims are in critical condition, one is in moderate condition, and another was mildly injured.

Two assailants carried out the act of terror with an axe and a knife, said a police spokesman.

The incident occurred at the conclusion of Israel’s Independence Day, which was immediately preceded by Memorial Day for the fallen IDF soldiers and victims of terror.

“Unfortunately, three people on whom we performed CPR have been pronounced dead. We also treated two people in serious condition, one person in moderate condition, and a number of people lightly injured,” said Moshe Sa’adon, head of the Elad chapter of United Hatzalah, a volunteer-based emergency medical services organization.

“Additionally, together with other first responders, I treated two other people who were in critical condition and three additional people in serious condition,” he added.

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Several bystanders are being treated for trauma.

A manhunt is ongoing for the terrorists who reportedly fled the scene. According to police, Channel 12 reported, “there are probably several hotspots in the Elad Amphitheater Park. Police forces were called to the scene from all Central District stations. At this stage, checkpoints were deployed along the arteries, while scans were used by a police helicopter for a vehicle that was apparently seen fleeing.”

Magen David Adom paramedic Alon Rizkan said that when he arrived at the scene, he found three men in their 40s with no signs of life.

INN reported that Alon Rizkan, a Magen David Adom paramedic said: “This was a very difficult call. When we arrived we realized that this was a complex scene. A 40 year old male was found near a vehicle by Ibn Gvirol traffic circle with serious injuries. We performed medical checks but he had no signs of life and we could only pronounce him dead. I went down the stairs to the nearby park, we performed CPR on a 40 year old male who was unconscious, but in the end had to pronounce him dead.

“Several meters away we found another 40 year old male who also had serious injuries, and he was also pronounced dead after resuscitation efforts. 3 further victims, males of 60 and 35 who were seriously wounded were treated on scene and then conveyed to Sheba Hospital in Tel Hashomer and Beilinson Hospital, sedated and intubated. A 40 year old male in moderate condition was conveyed to Beilinson Hospital, and a 23 year old male who fought with the terrorists was conveyed in mild condition to hospital.”

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The seriously wounded victims included two men, 60 and 35 years old respectively; a 40-year old man was moderately injured.

A 23-year-old man was lightly injured during a fight with the terrorists.

The Elad municipality issued a statement telling people to stay in their homes “due to an emergency in the city” and asked residents to report any suspicious person or incident to the police.

Hamas welcomed the “heroic, high-quality attack,” according to the Gaza news agency Shihab. “The operation is a serious blow to the occupation and its security system,” the terror group said, referring to the “crimes of the occupation” and the “settlers’ invasions of the al-Aqsa Mosque.”

“Our people will continue its struggle and defend of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by all means, and its attacks will reach the Zionists and the herds of settlers wherever they go. The Zionist occupation pays the price for its crimes and racist policies against our people, and our people will not stop until the occupation stops,” a Hamas spokesman said.