ISIS claimed responsibility on Monday for a shooting that saw two Arab gunmen kill two Israeli police officers and wound four others in central Israel during a second deadly rampage by the group within a week.
The attack, which happened on Sunday, saw the shooters open fire on the eve of a meeting between the foreign ministers of four Arab nations and the United States in Negev, Israel. Less than a week ago, a lone attacker, inspired by ISIS, murdered four people in a stabbing spree in southern Israel.
Security footage showed two men opening fire in Hadera before they were shot by two members of the Israeli Border Police counterterrorism unit, who had been in a restaurant nearby when the attack began. Police and ambulance services swiftly responded to the situation.
“This was murder for the sake of murder and terror for the sake of terror,” Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said alongside ministers from Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, the UAE and US, adding that “the terrorist goal is to intimidate us.”
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita addressed the terrorist attack, claiming that “our presence here today is, I think, the best response to such attacks.”
Via the Amaq news agency, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, saying two of the militant group’s members had killed two Israeli security forces.
The rampages come ahead of the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said his “heart breaks” over the attacks, issuing a statement from his home where he is isolating after testing positive for Covid.
With citizens urged to remain vigilant, police in Israel will be establishing checkpoints on major roads in the area from Tuesday.
Ramadan, which is set to begin on Saturday, has previously been a period that has seen violence break out between Israeli police and Muslim protesters. Last year, clashes between the sides sparked conflict between forces in Israel and Gaza. Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza, praised the murders, calling it a “heroic operation.”
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