Terrorist kills Israeli civilian, seriously wounds IDF soldier near Yokneam in northern Israel before being killed

An Israeli civilian was killed and an IDF soldier was critically wounded in a combined shooting and ramming attack this morning at the Tishbi intersection on Highway 66, near Yokneam in northern Israel. 

The terrorist opened fire at civilians but was neutralized almost immediately by police forces present at the scene. 

The terrorist was driving on the road near the Tishbi junction when he saw a young man of about 20 years of age at a bus stop and drove into him with his vehicle.

Hours after the incident, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed that the young man is a soldier.

The terrorist proceeded to exit his car and stabbed the soldier with a knife, critically wounding him. Next, the terrorist stole his rifle and shot at a vehicle traveling in the opposite lane.

The driver was not hit, but his 70-year-old father, who sat next to him, was critically wounded and succumbed to his injuries shortly after.

#WATCH: Footage of today’s terror attack near Yokneam in northern-central Israel. The terrorist reportedly arrived by car, rammed civilians, and opened fire at passing vehicles before being neutralized. A 75-year-old man was murdered, and at least one other person was injured. pic.twitter.com/p3JIzt4cmY

— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) March 24, 2025

"The soldier was evacuated to hospital to receive medical treatment. His family has been notified," the IDF stated.

In video footage released on social media, the terrorist can be seen running away from the bus stop at the intersection and attempting to shoot at passing vehicles before being engaged by police. 

Border Police forces, who incidentally were passing by the scene, quickly identified the terrorist and neutralized him. The female fighter who killed the terrorist later gave an interview to Kan Reshet Bet.

"Anyone who wasn't there at the time cannot understand what I experienced at that moment. I was sitting in a car, a civilian said there was a terrorist in the area. We got out, unloaded, and I eliminated the terrorist, we prevented a major attack," she said.

Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency medical teams quickly arrived at the scene to treat the wounded.

MDA senior medic Moshiko Amsalem said, “This is a serious incident, we were called to the scene of an attack at a bus stop at the Tishbi junction, when we arrived at the scene we immediately saw two wounded, one 75-year-old in critical condition with penetrating injuries, and another 20-year-old in moderate condition with penetrating injuries. We immediately began to provide them with medical treatment, which included stopping the bleeding and bandaging.”

According to Army Radio, the terrorist was later identified as a 25-year-old Arab Israeli from a town near Umm al-Fahm, not far from Yokneam.

Police commissioner Danny Levy at the scene of the crime stated, "The terrorist is an Arab-Israeli. He planned to go on a killing spree, took a weapon from the soldier and fired in every direction. We have already arrived at his house and arrested the necessary people."

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar blamed incitement by the Palestinian Authority for the latest attack.

During a joint press conference with EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas on Monday morning, Sa'ar noted that Israel is "fighting the war of the free world. Iran, the Houthis, Hamas, and Hezbollah are attacking us - because we are near them. But make no mistake - their war is against Western civilization, against its values ​​and way of life."

"It is natural that we expect greater support from Europe. We saw this morning the barbaric terrorist attack near Yokneam, which took the life of a 75-year-old man. This is a result of the ongoing incitement by the Palestinian Authority," Sa'ar emphasized.

This latest incident follows a series of terror attacks in northern Israel over the past month.

At the end of February, an Israeli girl was killed and 13 others wounded when a terrorist rammed his car into them near the Karkur Junction, close to the town of Pardes Hanna.

Several days later, another terrorist murdered one and wounded four others with a knife at the HaMifratz Central Bus Station in Haifa.