The scene of a suspected stabbing attack in Arab, southern Israel, November 30, 2017. Credit: Eliyahu Harashkovitz
An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier was killed at a bus stop in Arad, Israel on the night of November 30. 19 year old Ron Isaac Kukiya was waiting for a bus, when the assailant hit him with a knife in the the neck from behind. The injury was fatal. The police ascertain this to be a highly probable “act of terror.” The assailant may have taken the deceased’s weapons.
The search for the suspects is ongoing, with roadblocks established by the police. Schools and public spaces in Arad are under increased security by Negev police.
This comes after escalation in the Gaza Strip on the same day, when IDF reported incoming 10 to 12 mortar shots fired from the Strip at Israeli territory. The IDF retaliated by striking at Hamas and Islamic Jihad fortifications in the Strip using tanks and jets. The IDF stated that it held Hamas responsible for everything going on in the Strip. According to Palestinian sources, three people in the Gaza Strip were injured due to the bombings.
The IDF consider the attack to be a response to a demolition of a tunnel last month, during which seven Palestinians were killed.
