Three individuals were killed in unrelated attacks at different locations across Israel, all occurring within a 60-minute window between 5:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The victims included a prominent rabbi in Netanya, a bus driver in Shefa-Amr, and a young man near Yagur.
In Netanya, 75-year-old Rabbi Amos Guetta was fatally stabbed inside a synagogue. Authorities later took a Netanya man in his 20s into custody on suspicion of murder. Guetta was widely recognized for his dedication to helping those in need, and the suspect was reportedly a familiar face at the rabbi’s yeshiva.
According to a preliminary investigation, the suspect went to the rabbi’s home, carried out the stabbing, and then fled. Police indicated the man had initially come to pray alongside the rabbi, but a dispute erupted between the two. Investigators believe the suspect then charged at Guetta and stabbed him multiple times before escaping. Early police assessments suggest the suspect may be dealing with mental health issues.
In Shefa-Amr, 24-year-old bus driver Ali Suweid was shot and killed in a parking lot while heading to work. Magen David Adom emergency personnel declared him dead upon arrival at the scene. Police believe the shooting may be tied to an ongoing violent dispute between two local families.
Near Yagur, 21-year-old Amil Abu Kalib, a resident of Basmat Tab’un, was shot and killed inside his car in the parking lot of a shopping complex. Both police and media reports suggest this killing is connected to a conflict between rival criminal organizations. Investigators suspect the attack may have been carried out in retaliation for a separate fatal shooting that occurred Tuesday in Haifa, also believed to be part of a dispute involving Arab crime families.
Authorities were continuing to investigate all three killings as of Wednesday. One suspect has been detained in connection with the Netanya stabbing, while detectives work to uncover the full circumstances surrounding the two shootings in Shefa-Amr and near Yagur.
