Haifa, Israel — An Israeli man was killed and four others were wounded in a stabbing attack at HaMifratz Central station in the northern Israeli city of Haifa on Monday. Police described the incident as a terrorist attack, identifying the assailant as a 20-year-old Israeli Druze man who was shot dead at the scene by a security guard.
The victim who died was named as Hassan Dahamsha, 70, from the predominantly Arab town of Kafr Kanna. Among the wounded were a 15-year-old boy and a man and a woman in their 30s, all reported to be in serious condition, according to paramedics.
Authorities said the attacker, identified by Israeli media as Yitro Shaheen, had recently returned to Israel in February after spending several months abroad. Reports indicated that Shaheen held German citizenship and had lived in Germany. His motives remain unclear, and police have not disclosed further information about his background.
The attack unfolded shortly after the assailant disembarked from a bus arriving from Shfaram, a predominantly Arab town about 10 kilometers east of Haifa. Witnesses reported that the attacker, armed with a knife, shouted “Allahu Akbar” before indiscriminately stabbing people waiting at the station. He then moved towards a security checkpoint, where he stabbed an elderly man before being fatally shot by a security guard.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack, expressing condolences to the family of the deceased. “We will continue to fight everywhere against those who seek to murder us, and we will defeat them,” Netanyahu said.
The spiritual leader of Israel’s Druze community, Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, also condemned the attack but urged patience until a full investigation could clarify the circumstances. Druze lawmaker Hamad Amar of the right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party emphasized that the attack did not represent the Druze community, which he described as a loyal partner in defending Israel.
Shfaram’s mayor, Nahid Khazem, expressed shock and condemned the “despicable crime,” adding that the attacker’s family claimed he was mentally unstable, though no documentation was provided to support this assertion.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian militant group Hamas praised the attack as a “natural response” to what it described as Israeli crimes against Palestinians. No armed group has claimed responsibility for the incident.
The stabbing comes amid ongoing tensions between Israel and Hamas, following a deadlock over the six-week-old Gaza ceasefire deal. Israel recently halted aid to Gaza after Hamas rejected a U.S.-proposed extension to the ceasefire’s first phase. Hamas accused Israel of reneging on the agreement and insisted that the second phase proceed as initially outlined.
Security forces have heightened their presence across northern Israel, and investigations are ongoing to determine the motive behind the attack.