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Doris Yachbas, 49, Rabbi Moshe Kravisky, 50, Laura Yitzhak, 43, and Menachem Yechezkel, 67. Published by IMEMC News

Mohammad Ghaleb Abu al-Kian, 34. Published by IMEMC News

Mohammed Abu al-Kiyan. Credit: Shin Bet. Published by Haaretz
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by IMEMC News
Mar 23, 2022

On Tuesday night, a man identified as Mohammad Ghaleb Abu al-Kian, 34, was shot and killed by a bystander after he killed four Israelis in Beersheba, in southern Israel.

According to Israeli media, al-Kian was driving a car, and ran over Rabbi Moshe Kravitsky, who was riding a bicycle.

He then allegedly drove to a gas station, where he exited the vehicle and stabbed Laura Yitzhak.

Following that stabbing, he drove to a nearby shopping center, exited the car, and stabbed Yehezkel and Yahbas. A bus driver then shot and killed al-Kian.

The four Israelis killed were buried on Wednesday, following Jewish tradition to bury the body soon after death.

They were identified as Doris Yahbas, 49, Laura Yitzhak, 43, Menach Yehezkel Menuchin, 67, and Moshe Kravitsky, 50.

Just days before this attack, Journalist Israel Harel wrote a piece in the Israeli daily Ha’aretz praising the Israeli government’s decision to further displace the Bedouin population in the Negev.

Harel wrote, “In the first stage, 20,000 apartments will be built, as well as an industrial zone for advanced technology. In addition to finding a solution to the dire housing shortage among the ultra-Orthodox community, the city, in the specific site on which it will be constructed, will assist, in this initiative’s secondary objective, to halt, even if only in part, the process through which the Negev is being taken over by the Bedouin community, a process which in recent years has taken on alarming proportions.”

Israeli Hadash party condemned the attack and said, “the way of violence is not the way of the Arab public in general and the Negev in particular and is not part of the just struggle of the Negev Arabs against the dispossession and oppression,” the Jerusalem Post said.

“We already hear the instigators intend to use the tragedy to ignite a racist fire and lead to violence against Arab citizens. They must not be allowed to exploit the murder of innocent people to lead to more violence,” added the party.

It is worth mentioning that Abu al-Kiyan, a Bedouin man from Hura town, was previously imprisoned by Israel, and a security source told Haaretz the assailant was a known ISIS supporter.

Several Palestinian Authority officials denounced the attack in letters to Israeli counterparts.

The Israeli police and Internal Security arrested two members of Mohammad’s family under the suspicion that they “knew about the attack, but failed to stop it, however, the allegations could not be substantiated.

According to the Negev News Arab website, the Abu al-Kian family strongly denounce the attack and said Mohammad does not represent the family and its beliefs and sent its condolences to the victims and their families.

The Arabs48 news website has reported that “The High Arab Steering Committee in the Negev” also denounced the attack and said it does not represent the Arab residents of the Negev.

It added that the attack also tries to paint the Arabs in the Negev as guilty and racist, and said: “despite the long history of racism, discrimination and incitement against us, and despite what we have recently been facing, including attacks by Israeli militias targeting our very own existence, we continue to believe in the civil struggle within the law until achieving out full and equal rights for everybody in the Negev.”

The Committee expressed its condolences to the families, wished a full recovery to the wounded, and warned of the increasing incitement by Israeli fanatics against the Bedouins in the Negev.

“We all need to act responsibly, and we warn that incitement is just going to bring more suffering against the Arabs in general, and the Bedouins in particular,” the Committee said, “There are some in Israel, especially the extreme rightwing, who are using this tragedy for political gains and are inciting against us and our existence.
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Four Killed in an Attack in Southern Israel; Bedouin Assailant Shot Dead

Two are in serious condition ■ The assailant, an Israeli citizen, was shot by a bus driver. He is a convicted felon and a supporter of ISIS ■ This is the third stabbing attack in Israel in the past week

by Josh Breiner Ran Shimoni Yaniv Kubovich and Jack Khoury for Haaretz
Mar. 22, 2022

Four people were killed and two women were wounded on Tuesday in a stabbing and ramming attack in the southern city of Be'er Sheva, police and emergency services said. The assailant was shot dead.

The two wounded women are hospitalized in the Department of Cardiac Surgery of Be'er Sheva hospital. They are in moderate and stable condition. In addition, a number of people suffering from anxiety after witnessing the attack were treated by medical teams from the social services at the hospital, Soroka spokeswoman said.

A bus driver who was near the scene has shot the assailant, Mohammed Abu al-Kiyan, police said. One of the victims is 49-year-old Doris Yachbas. Rabbi Moshe Kravisky, 50, Laura Yitzhak, 43, and Menachem Yechezkel, 67, were also identified as victims of the attack.

Police said the attacker careened his car into a cyclist. He then drove to a gas station, where he left his car and stabbed a woman. Afterwards, he headed towards a shopping center, where he attacked more people until the bus driver shot him dead.

An eyewitness told Haaretz that he saw a man ramming into cars at the site and thought that an accident had happened.

"I came closer and saw a man with a knife scanning the area looking to stab, he ran between cars and people."

Abu al-Kiyan, a Bedouin man from the nearby town of Hura, served time for security-related offenses. A security source said that the assailant was a known ISIS supporter.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett held a briefing with Public Security Minister Omer Bar-Lev and Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai following the attack.

Commissioner Shabtai told reporters at a press briefing at the scene that the incident was “an abominable killing spree by a terrorist known to security services” who had previously served prison time. He said that the attacker appeared to have acted alone.

Shabtai declined to comment further on the suspect. He also said that Israel Police will raise alert levels across the nation due to fears of a copycat attacks.

Bennett sent his condolences to the families of the victims and added that "security forces are on high alert. We will respond with a heavy hand against the terrorizers. We will also pursue and capture their assistants."

The U.S. State department condemned the terrorist attack in Be'er Sheva on Tuesday.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad spokespersons praised the attack. Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif al-Qanou called it an "heroic act," vowing that the group's "battle against the occupation continues and we will not stop."

Islamic Jihad spokesman Tariq Salmi said that the attack was "a natural response to the crimes of the occupation in the Negev," adding that Israel "must realize that the Palestinian people will not surrender."

Hundreds of right-wing activists are gathering at the scene of the attack.

Assailant intended to join ISIS in Syria

Abu al-Kiyan is known to the authorities as a supporter of ISIS. He was arrested in 2015, and in 2016, he was sentenced to four years in prison after establishing a group that intended to join ISIS in Syria.

He was convicted in a plea bargain under which he confessed to two charges – conspiracy to commit a crime and attempting to act on behalf of a terrorist organization.

At the time, he was working as a teacher in an elementary school and preaching at a local mosque.

According to the indictment, he also attended secret meetings at which he served as a “spiritual instructor” on Islamic State content. He also showed Islamic State videos to minors and expressed support for the organization.

At his sentencing hearing, Abu al-Kiyan expressed regret for his actions and promised not to repeat them. He added that he wanted “to return to his five children and his family.”

Ramadan tensions

This is the third stabbing attack in the past week.

Tensions have been on the rise in Israel and the Palestinian territories as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in April this year, approaches – a period when violence has erupted in the past.

The military has recently expressed concern over a deteriorating security situation in the West Bank and Jerusalem ahead of the Passover and Ramadan holidays, and following several deadly incidents between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians.

On Sunday, a 20-year-old Israeli police officer was moderately wounded in a suspected stabbing attack in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Ras al-Amud.

Another man was wounded in a stabbing attack in Jerusalem on Saturday. The assailant, a Palestinian resident of the city, was shot by officers at the scene and was taken to hospital in serious condition.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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