Israeli man, Uri Moyal, murdered in stabbing attack at southern Israel highway stop, two others wounded

An Israeli man was critically wounded when a terrorist stabbed him with a knife in a coffee shop at Beit Kama Junction on Thursday afternoon, according to an announcement from Israel Police.

Footage on social media showed a young man approaching an IDF soldier from behind, stabbing him repeatedly. Despite his injuries, the soldier managed to shoot and kill the attacker.

The 50-year-old victim was evacuated to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva in critical condition and later succumbed to his wounds, the Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency services reported.

He was later identified as Chief Warrant Officer Uri Moyal, a career soldier in the IDF and resident of Dimona.

He served as a senior technology and maintenance NCO at the Nahal Brigade’s training base.

Local Channel 12 news reported that a 65-year-old man was also lightly wounded in the attack and was treated by medics at the scene.

“We arrived at the scene with large forces, saw a lot of commotion, and near one of the shops, a 50-year-old man was lying unconscious and suffering from penetrating injuries to his body,” said senior MDA medic Kalman Ganzburg

“We immediately put him in an MDA intensive care vehicle and evacuated him to the hospital in critical condition while CPR was being performed.”

The terrorist was identified as a 22-year-old Israeli citizen, Fadi Abu Latif, originally from the Gaza Strip but had been living in the Negev, in the Bedouin city of Rahat near Beersheva, Israeli media reported.

“We were sitting together and eating in Aroma, suddenly there were shouts from the entrance. We thought it was a fight, and in a short time, we realized it was more serious,” Lior, an eyewitness, told Ynet News.

“20 people ran out and lay down on the floor. A few seconds later there were several shots. I always wondered what I would do when there was an attack.”

The police said its forces were searching the surrounding area to exclude the possibility of other attackers.

The stabbing attack comes shortly before the first Friday prayer of this year’s Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a period which has typically seen an increase in terror attacks.

It also follows another knife attack on Wednesday morning in which two Israelis were lightly wounded when a 15-year-old Palestinian teen began stabbing security forces at the tunnel checkpoint in Gush Etzion, near Jerusalem.

The checkpoint security personnel quickly neutralized the terrorist without further casualties.