Bloody rise of terror in Israel as Hamas and ISIS wage war killing 13 in car ramming and stabbing attacks over Ramadan
RAMADAN is a time for reflection, fasting and prayer for Muslims across the world, united in their commitment to their religion.
But the holiest month on the Islamic calendar has been stained by a shocking rise in terror attacks in Israel.
The country has been rocked in recent weeks by “a wave” of atrocities, orchestrated by ISIS and the Hamas militant movement.
In the last fortnight, Ramadan celebrations have been overshadowed by a dramatic surge in violence across Israel – with 11 people killed.
The decades-old conflict between Israel and Palestine has seen blood spilled on the streets as tensions run high.
Four people were killed and several others injured by a knife-wielding maniac in the southern city of Beersheba on March 22.
The Arab attacker – a former high school teacher – horrifically drove his car into a cyclist in his 60s before stabbing five people.
The 34-year-old assailant – known to security services – embarked on his murderous spree after knifing a woman at a nearby petrol station.
Hero bystanders eventually shot dead the knifeman, who was described as an Islamic State sympathiser by the Israeli authorities.
The incident marked the highest death toll in a single attack against Israelis since 2017, when a Palestinian rammed his truck into a group of soldiers in Jerusalem, killing four of them.
The attack seems to have ignited a competition to surpass the new gruesome milestone, as the worrying rise of terrorism continues.
Despite Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett assuring people security forces were “on high alert” for further strikes, it has done little to deter radicals.
TERROR IN TEL AVIV
Just five days later, an Arab assailant rained a hail of gunfire in southern Israel as an Israeli-Arab summit convened.
The militant gunman fatally shot two police officers in Hadera, a city some 30miles north of Tel Aviv, before cops shot and killed him.
Responsibility for the horrific slayings was claimed by the Islamic State.
It seems the target then firmly fell on Israel’s commercial capital Tel Aviv, with ISIS fanatics launching devastating ambushes around the city.
Another five people were murdered by a Palestinian gunman in Bnei Brak on March 29, marking the third deadly attack in just a week.
The 27-year-old Palestinian strolled the streets of the Jewish ultra-Orthodox suburb, wielding an assault rifle before blindly shooting at civilians.
The gun-toting terrorist killed five Israelis before he was shot dead by police – with the Hamas group praising his “heroic operation”.
Although they fell short of claiming responsibility, they have openly applauded the deaths of “occupying soldiers and Zionist settlers”.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for “permanent, comprehensive and just peace” between Palestinians and Israelis in hopes of putting a stop to the soaring violence.
His rare condemnation of the violence demonstrates the tumultuous nature of the continuing unrest that leaders are desperate to put a lid on.
Officials had warned about a surge in assaults in the run-up to April as Ramadan began, as it notoriously triggers a surge in bloodshed.
East Jerusalem, captured by Israel in a 1967 war, remains a focal point of hostility between the warring sides.
Thousands of Muslims gather at the third-holiest site in Islam, the Al-Aqsa mosque, each evening – making it a renowned site for clashes.
Israeli-Palestinian tensions are now sky-high amid the series of bloody attacks by Palestinian assailants.
Last year, protests and clashes during Ramadan ignited an 11-day Gaza war, while wading through the Covid pandemic.
It seems no victims are off-limits either – as another Palestinian shooter opened fire in a tourist hotspot in Tel Aviv on April 8.
The gunman, identified as Ra’ad Hazem, 28, fatally blasted two childhood friends and injured eight others in the deadly assault – leaving four in critical condition.
He brazenly pulled the trigger while aiming at several spots on Dizengoff Street, which is one of the city’s busiest walkways.
Ramadan must be a month of peace and quiet and not a period marked by terror.
Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz
Pals Tomer Morad and Eytam Magini, both 27, were tragically killed as they enjoyed a drink at a bar.
Hazem led authorities on an hours-long manhunt throughout the city, before he was eventually found hiding near a mosque in Jaffa.
During an exchange of fire with police, the attacker was killed, Israel’s Shin Bet security agency said.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
It seems further plots have been paralysed by security forces, with Israeli PM Naftali Bennett claiming “more than 15 serious attacks” have been prevented.
He said 207 arrests had also been made in relation to the unrest while 400 suspects “in contact with IS” were interrogated.
Defence Minister Benny Gantz echoed his concerns, while saying: “Ramadan must be a month of peace and quiet and not a period marked by terror.”
Swapping the riots and rockets of last year for a string of terror attacks, Ramadan in Israel is again being blighted by violence.
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Despite the delicate security situation, the Israeli government eased some restrictions on Palestians on the West Bank to celebrate the holy month.
But it remains to be seen whether the gesture will quell the tension between Israelis and Palestinians.
