Lina Qassem (Zidan), about 60, from Daliyat al-Karmel, went to buy sweets in Kafr Manda on Saturday, but did not return home: A fragmentation grenade thrown by unidentified assailants at a pastry shop in the village exploded, critically wounding her in front of her husband. She was evacuated to Rambam Hospital in Haifa, where she was pronounced dead about an hour later. Qassem is the 20th woman murdered in the Arab community since the start of the year.
Three other people were injured in the incident, including Qassem's husband, who was reportedly run over by the assailants. Two of the wounded, a man and a woman in their 50s, sustained moderate injuries, while another person was lightly injured. The wounded were evacuated to Rambam Hospital in Haifa and the Italian Hospital in Nazareth.
Residents said several shootings and grenade attacks had taken place in the area in recent days, some of which were filmed and shared on social media. They said, "The writing was on the wall." At the same time as the attack on the pastry shop, another grenade was thrown elsewhere in the village.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic following the explosion. Visitors to the area said, "The explosion shook the entire area. We thought a missile had exploded there. We saw glass flying everywhere, people running, women and children crying. We rushed to take cover. If we had been closer, we could have been killed."
Magen David Adom emergency medical technician Iyad Hibi described a grim scene when crews arrived. He said, "When we arrived, we saw a commotion and several injured people. We were told they had been injured by a grenade. We began treating all the wounded. A woman about 60 years old was critically injured. We immediately began resuscitation efforts, including chest compressions, ventilation and administering medication, and evacuated her to the hospital in a mobile intensive care unit in critical condition."
Large numbers of police and Border Police officers began searches and operational activity following the incident. Police later announced the arrest of three suspects in connection with the grenade attack and the discovery of a vehicle suspected of having been used by them and hidden afterward.
According to assessments in the village, the suspects intended to harm a particular person but, after failing to locate him, attacked a business belonging to one of his relatives. This assessment has not been officially confirmed.
Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy arrived at the scene and received a briefing on the progress of the investigation and the arrests. He said, "This is a very difficult evening, when a woman goes to buy sweets for her family and does not return home."
The commissioner added, "Today, regrettably, a woman was murdered through no fault of her own. The despicable murderers, as the district commander announced here, are under arrest, and we will hold them and those who sent them to account."
Levy pledged that police would continue to act against criminal organizations in the Arab community. He said, "We promised that we would not give up, that we would put the criminals in prison one by one and bring calm to Arab villages and towns. We are winning this long and difficult fight, but today is a kind of defeat - yet we will not give up." Police said the commissioner had instructed officers to deploy all personnel and resources needed to locate and arrest everyone involved in the incident.