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A Palestinian individual carried out a car-ramming and stabbing attack in northern Israel on Friday, resulting in the deaths of two Israelis, according to officials.

The attack started on Friday afternoon in Beit She’an, where the perpetrator crashed into pedestrians, resulting in the death of a 68-year-old man and the injury of a teenage boy.

He then proceeded onto a highway, where he fatally stabbed a 19-year-old woman and injured another individual while heading toward the nearby city of Afula, according to the police. Paramedics confirmed both victims had died at the location.

The two deceased individuals have been recognized as 19-year-old Aviv Maor from Kibbutz Ein Harod, who was fatally stabbed near a bus stop on Route 71, reportedly while trying to get a ride, and Mordechai Shimshon, 68, from Beit She’an, a town located close to the northern border of the West Bank.

A bystander fired at the attacker, who was hospitalized in stable condition, as reported by Israeli news sources.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed shock at the “horrific wave of killings.” He stated that Israel is “dedicated to reinforcing and enhancing this difficult border, and naturally, to strengthening the security measures in the region for the complete safety of the residents.”

Israeli troops later assembled close to the Palestinian village of Qabatiya, which Defense Minister Israel Katz stated was the location where the attacker came from.

Katz directed forces to respond “with strength and immediacy” to what he referred to as terrorist structures in the town. “Anyone who supports or backs terrorism will face the complete consequences,” he stated.

The conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has led to rising violence within Israel and the occupied West Bank, with more attacks carried out by Palestinian fighters.

In November, perpetrators executed a vehicle-ramming and stabbing attack at the Gush Etzion crossroads in the West Bank, resulting in the death of a 71-year-old Israeli individual and injuring three others. Israeli military personnel killed the attackers, whose car was said to have had explosive substances.

Two months prior, Palestinian militants began shooting at a bus station in Jerusalem during the morning commute, resulting in the deaths of six individuals and injuries to 12 others, as reported by Israeli authorities.

In February 2024, a Palestinian individual opened fire on Israeli civilians in Kiryat Malakhi, resulting in the deaths of two people and injuries to four others. The attacker was subsequently killed by an Israeli reservist who was not on duty at the time.