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Photos:
Scene. Published by IMEMC News

Aleksandr Iakiminskyi. Published by IMEMC News and Haaretz

Jawad Rabia. Published by IMEMC News

The stabber's mother being arrested at the site of the attack in Carmiel, on Wednesday. Credit: Rami Shlush. Published by Haaretz

The stabber's sister being arrested at the site of the attack in Carmiel, on Wednesday. Credit: Rami Shlush. Published by Haaretz

See video at IMEMC News Source Link
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by IMEMC News
July 4, 2024

A Palestinian man and an Israeli soldier killed each other in a Israeli mall in the city of Carmiel, in the northern part of the country, on Wednesday.

According to Israeli sources, Jawad Rabia from the village of Deir al-Assad (Israel claims it is called ‘Nahf’) next to Carmiel, entered the mall and tried to attack two uniformed Israeli soldiers with a knife.

He was shot by Aleksandr Iakiminskyi, a 19-year-old soldier from Nahariya, who was stabbed but managed to shoot his attacker before dying on the scene. The other soldier was wounded and was taken to a nearby hospital.

Iakiminskyi was an active duty Israeli soldier from the 188th Armored Brigade, which was stationed in Gaza in November 2023 during one of the bloodiest periods of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

The Brigade took part in destroying to rubble the port of Gaza, the only major port in the Gaza Strip that had been used for fishing vessels and aid ships to dock.

The alleged assailant, Jawad Rabia, had never been in any trouble before, and his mother, brother and sister, surprised to see news reports that Jawad had been killed, arrived at the mall, where they were promptly blindfolded, handcuffed and arrested by Israeli police, who took them to an unknown destination.

During Israel’s 272-day long assault on Gaza, which has displaced over 90% of Gaza’s population and destroyed over 80% of Gaza’s infrastructure, in addition to killing nearly 40,000 Palestinians — almost half of whom are children — Israelis have largely been able to return to life as normal, going to shopping malls and beaches in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Carmiel and other Israeli cities and towns.

The Hamas movement issued a statement saying that the attack “reflects a natural response to the crimes of the occupation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Acts of resistance in Jenin, in Tulkarem and within the borders of the Green Line have humiliated the occupation, and they are the only way to defend the Palestinian nation.”

Following the incident, Israeli police invaded the village of Deir al-Asad (Nahf) and ordered a closure. They abducted a number of family members from Rabia’s family and ransacked the family home. Deputy Superintendent Itzik Abu Hatzeira then issued an order to demolish the family home of Rabia.
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IDF Soldier Killed, Another Wounded in Stabbing Attack in Northern Israeli Shopping Mall

Police reported the stabber is an Israeli resident of the Arab town of Nahf; family members arrived after identifying him in circulated footage. All three were handcuffed, with his brother also restrained in the legs, their eyes covered with blindfolds

by Noa Shpigel, Deiaa Haj Yahia, Adi Hashmonai, Josh Breiner and Ido Efrati for Haaretz
Jul 3, 2024

An Israeli soldier was killed and another seriously wounded in a stabbing attack in a shopping mall in the northern Israeli city of Carmiel on Wednesday. The assailant, Jawad Rabia, was fatally shot at the scene.

The victim was later identified as Sergeant Aleksandr Iakiminskyi, a 19-year-old from Nahariya. Sgt. Iakiminskyi served as a heavy vehicle driver in the 188th Armored Brigade. He managed to shoot and kill the assailant after being stabbed.

The police reported that the assailant is an Israeli resident of the Arab town of Nahf, which is adjacent to Carmiel. Several family members were arrested at the scene of the attack, and later police entered the village and apprehended additional family members. The Shin Bet is involved in the investigation.

The commander of the Carmiel police station, Deputy Superintendent Itzik Abu Hatzeira stated that the assailant's mother, brother, and sister were arrested at the scene. According to him, they arrived after identifying the assailant in footage circulated on social media. All three were handcuffed, his brother also in the legs, and their eyes were covered with blindfolds.

Abu Hatzeira additionally mentioned that there is an instruction to consider legally demolishing the assailant's home in the village of Nahf.

The wounded Israelis were evacuated to the Galilee Medical Center in the northern Israeli city of Nahariya.

Security camera footage from one of the stores in the mall shows the stabber trying to escape - and a soldier chasing him and shooting him with his personal weapon from close up.

The police said it suspected that there were other armed men involved in the incident. Police Northern District Commander Maj. Gen. Shuki Tahauka said that the stabber arrived to the mall by foot, ascended to the second floor and stabbed two people. He added that one of the wounded managed to regain his composure, and shoot and kill the attacker.

Tahauka added that the numerous Carmiel roads have been closed for traffic, and stressed that the area is being scanned to locate other suspects.

Police northern district operations officer, Commander Ran Ofir, said that the district is on high alert, and that the organization is still making sure that no other attackers are at large.

About 15,000 people live in Nahf. It is an agricultural community that is thought of as relatively quiet with low levels of crime. Over the past five years, the police recorded only two isolated incidents of violence.

Several hours after the attack, Hamas issued a statement welcoming the attack. "This reflects a natural response to the crimes of the occupation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank," the statement read. "Acts of resistance in Jenin, in TUl Karm and within the borders of the Green Line have humiliated the occupation, and they are the only way to defend the Palestinian nation."

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