Siblings stabbed in Gush Etzion terror attack

 Two Israeli siblings, Noam and Nahum Navi, aged 20 and 18, were injured in a ramming attack near the settlement of Elazar on Friday afternoon in the Gush Etzion region of the West Bank.

Police released dramatic video footage of the attack, which showed a white car with an Israeli license plate speeding on Route 60, then swerving off the road to hit the sister and brother who were standing by the bus stop.

The car then flipped sideways and turned over, landing in back of the bus stop.

An off-duty officer caught the attack on camera and, upon viewing the driver attempting to leave and the vehicle, shot and killed him, according to police who released a short video of the attack.

The Palestinian driver, Ala’ Khader al-Hreimi, 26, from Bethlehem, had spent time in prison between 2014 and 2015 for unspecified violent activities.

Nahum was transported by Magen David Adom to Hadassah University Medical Center, Ein Karem, with a head injury; he underwent surgery and is in serious condition. Noam was taken to Sha’are Tzedek Hospital and is in moderate condition. The family, who lives in the Elazar settlement, has asked the public to pray for the recovery of the two siblings.

Friday’s attack was the third in 10 days. On Thursday, an Israeli policeman was lightly to moderately injured in a Palestinian stabbing attack in the Old City of Jerusalem.

On August 7, an Israeli teen, 18-year-old Dvir Sorek, was stabbed to death by Palestinians near the West Bank settlement of Migdal Oz, not far from the site of Friday’s ramming attack.

The YESHA Council called on the IDF and Israeli security forces to do everything possible to restore safety to the region.

Gush Etzion Regional Council Head Shlomo Ne’eman spoke about the absence of deterrence and called on the government to apply sovereignty to Gush Etzion in response to the attacks.

“Unfortunately, we are experiencing a lack of deterrence that’s affecting residents of Gush Etzion in particular and Judea and Samaria in general,” Ne’eman said. 

“We demand from the government action that will lead to the end of this uncertainty for the future of Judea and Samaria. We are calling for the establishment of sovereignty. The answer is to continue to build and grow in Judea and Samaria,” he continued.

“To the terrorists we say – you have no chance, and you have no future,” said Ne’eman. He also wished a speedy recovery to the victims.

Blue and White Party head Benny Gantz blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the attack, stating that his failure to stand strong against Hamas in Gaza had emboldened terrorists to attack Israelis in the West Bank.

Netanyahu’s cabinet, made up of ministers like Bezalel Smotrich and Miri Regev, “can’t handle this kind of terror,” Gantz said.

He swore that if elected prime minister, he would create a truly strong cabinet that would restore deterrence and protect Israeli citizens.

On Friday afternoon, settlers held a small demonstration near the site of the attack demanding security.