At least four Israelis were murdered and four others wounded on Thursday evening as two Palestinian terrorists carried out the attack in an Ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in the central Israel town of Elad, All three victims were men in their 40s  and fathers: Yonatan Habakkuk, a father of five, Boaz Gol, a father of five, and Oren Ben Yiftach, a father of six from Lod. Two of the victims aged 60 and 35 were seriously wounded and transported to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer and Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus sedated and intubated. Another 40-year-old male was moderately wounded and transported to Beilinson, and a 23-year-old male who fought with the terrorists was conveyed in mild condition to the hospital.

Oren Ben Yiftah
Yonatan Havakuk
Boaz Gol

These are the victims of the deadly terrorist attack in Elad. They left 16 orphans. pic.twitter.com/hnpoM0gLjB

— Hananya Naftali (@HananyaNaftali) May 6, 2022

One of the murdered victims unsuccessfully shot at the terrorists. 18 Israelis have been murdered by Palestinians in recent weeks. It is believed that some of the attacks were facilitated by holes in the security fence separating central Israel from Judea and Samaria. The IDF has already begun to dig trenches to prevent vehicles from crossing as well as additional defenses along the barrier.

הטבח בעיר אלעד pic.twitter.com/zUILHfNoL9

— ישי כהן (@ishaycoen) May 5, 2022

The attack came as the Israeli Independence day was ending. The terrorists were armed with an ax and knife. Police identified the two axe assailants as young Palestinian men from the Arab city of Jenin. As of Friday morning, security forces are still searching for the Palestinian terrorists.

בעקבות הפיגוע באלעד, שר הביטחון @gantzbe הנחה להאריך את הסגר בעזה וביהודה ושומרון עד ליום ראשון. ראש הממשלה נפתלי בנט מקיים הערכת מצבhttps://t.co/DadjCHvh40
: יוסי אלוני, פלאש 90 pic.twitter.com/qS3eyhLbcs

— סרוגים (@SrugimNews) May 5, 2022

“We are currently in pursuit of two terrorists, who are believed to have fled the scene,” police said. “We have special police forces in the field, Shin Bet forces, helicopters, and other combat units. According to estimates, the terrorists are still in the area and we are doing everything to apprehend them.”

The Hebrew-language Orthodox website BeHadrei Hadarim interviewed one would-be victim who fought back, driving off the terrorists.

“I was sitting in the car with my friend and we were eating cholent,” the man, who identified himself as Dovid, said. Cholent is a beef stew traditionally eaten on Shabbat. “The terrorists, carrying huge axes, came on both sides of the car. My friend threw his boiling hot cholent on one of the terrorists and he got burned and stopped. In the meantime, I grabbed the end of his ax and managed to push him away.”

“He flew back three steps. And then the second terrorist tried to hit my friend again but my friend pushed him back and they fled,” he says.

“Praise God we were saved. The terrorists saw that we were fighting back and they fled,” Dovid says.

MDA paramedic Alon Rizkan, who arrived at the scene and treated the victims called it “a very difficult call.”

“Unfortunately, this incident will be deeply etched in my heart,” said MDA volunteer Moti Tsinvert. “In all my years as an emergency medicine paramedic, I have not encountered such a severe scene of multiple casualties with significant penetrating injuries, residents who went out just to breathe fresh air in the park, and their lives were ended so harshly.”

“This is a massacre and bloodbath that is reminiscent of dark days in the history of Israel. I hope that I and the rest of the emergency services that dealt with the horrific event will be able to return to routine after the difficult images we saw,” added Tsinvert.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett released a statement:

“Our enemies have embarked on a murderous campaign against Jews wherever they are. Their goal is to break our spirit but they will fail. We will get our hands on the terrorists and those who aid and abet them, and ensure they pay the price. I offer my deepest condolences to the families of those who were murdered,” said Bennett.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ‘vehemently’ condemns the attack in Elad.

“This was a horrific attack targeting innocent men and women, and was particularly heinous coming as Israel celebrated its Independence Day,” Blinken said in a statement.

We vehemently condemn the terrorist attack in Israel today. Our hearts are with the victims and the loved ones of those killed. May the memories of those who passed be a blessing.

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) May 6, 2022

His statement glaringly imitated the word “Palestinian.” Blinken reiterated that the US stands firmly with Israel. It should be noted that the Biden administration reinstituted funding to the Palestinian Authority in contravention of the Taylor Force Act which prohibits funding the PA while they pay terrorists and their families.

Rabbi Yosef Berger, the rabbi of King David’s Tomb on Mount Zion, corrected Blinken’s statement.

“In cases of murder, we do not say, ‘May their memories be a blessing’. We say, ‘May Heaven revenge their blood’. Blinken shows by his statement that he understands that the blood of these Jews is on his hands because he is paying the murderers.”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the attack while giving a veiled warning to the Israeli security forces against catching the terrorists. The official Palestinian news agency WAFA quoted him as saying “the killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians will only lead to more deterioration of the situation.”