Two individuals were murdered and four people were wounded in a terrorist shooting attack at the Masmiya (Re'em) Junction between Gedera and Kiryat Malachi in southern Israel on Friday afternoon.
An armed civilian battled the terrorist and eliminated him.
A large police force arrived at the scene and began to search the area to rule out the possibility of there being an additional terrorist. In the terrorist vehicle, the police found an identity card belonging to a resident of the Shuafat neighborhood in eastern Jerusalem, and are checking if it belongs to the terrorist.
A source in the police stated that the terrorist arrived at the scene in a vehicle, sporting an "ISIS style" beard and a large white skull cap. He made a U-turn at the junction since he saw a large number of people standing there. He exited the vehicle and began shooting with a pistol. A civilian at the scene eliminated the terrorist.
The residents in the area of the attack have been asked not to leave their villages and the roads in the area are blocked.
Magen David Adom reported that medical personnel treated five people who were wounded in the shooting, four seriously.
The MDA Lachish Region Deputy Director stated: "We were rapidly on the scene in large numbers, it was a complex scene, we saw shooting victims some of whom were unconscious, and we did an immediate triage. A 20-year-old male was unconscious with no pulse or breathing with gunshot injuries, we provided life-saving treatment, tried to fight for his life, and evacuated him to hospital while he underwent CPR. Another 20-year-old male was unconscious, and 16 and 65-year-old males were conscious with serious penetrating injuries. A 65-year-old woman is in moderate condition. A 52-year-old escaped the scene and called us from close to Yad Binyamin nearby, we arrived at the scene quickly, he also had a penetrating injury and was evacuated in moderate and stable condition."
MDA Paramedic Ari Rosenshein who was in the area and ran into the incident recounted: “I was sitting at the entrance to the garage, near the incident, and heard gunfire very close to me. I immediately ran to the terrible scene. I saw a number of casualties lying unconscious near a bus stop. I performed initial evaluations and meanwhile asked my wife to run to the car to get the first aid equipment that I had. I called MDA Dispatch to update them, and within a short time, large numbers of ambulances, MICUs, and MDA first responders arrived on the scene to treat and evacuate the casualties to the hospital. Security forces at the scene killed the terrorist.”
The wounded were evacuated to Assuta Medical Center and Kaplan Medical Center. One of the wounded victims was transferred to Beilinson Hospital from Kaplan Medical Center due to the severity of his wounds, his condition is still life-threatening.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir arrived at the scene and stated: "This attack proves again that guns save lives. I will expand and grow the program for the right of Israelis to arm themselves. You fight terror not with blinking or with words but with a determined line. That's how it should be Gaza, Lebanon, and everywhere else. No tolerance against terrorism."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated: "I send heartfelt condolences to the families of those who were murdered in the terrorist attack at Re'em Junction and am praying for the wounded. This attack reminds us that the entire country is on the frontline and that the murderers, who come not only from Gaza, want to kill us all. We will continue to fight until total victory, with all our might, on every front, everywhere, until we restore the security and quiet for all citizens of Israel."
Minister Benny Gantz wrote on X following the attack: "My condolences to the families of the victims, and together with all of Israel I pray for the recovery of the injured. We are in a war for our lives in this land - together, we will break the spirit of our enemies' terror."
EU Ambassador to Israel Dimiter Tzantchev responded to the attack on X: "Terrible news about a devastating shooting attack at the Re'em-Masmiyya intersection. Condolences to the families of the victims and sincere wishes for a speedy recovery to those injured. Violence is never the answer, and we unequivocally condemn such cowardly terror attacks!"
Shuli, an eyewitness who works in a nearby restaurant, recounted: "People shouted 'There's an attack!' A mess started, people ran into the restaurant in panic, then a policeman came and came in and asked if we saw a suspect with a white cap. People are really stressed, calling family members. They saw people falling and being dragged."
