4 Victims of Deadly Ranaana Terror Attack Still in Serious Condition

Jerusalem, 16 January, 2024 (TPS) -- Sixteen victims from Monday’s deadly stabbing and car-ramming spree in Raanana remain hospitalized, including four in serious condition, according to the local hospitals.

One victim, a 79 year-old woman identified as Edna Blustein, was declared dead at the Hillel Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba on Monday.

Seven children were evacuated to the Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petah Tikvah, including a 16 year-old boy in serious condition and on a ventilator, hospital officials said.

At Tel Aviv’s Beilinson Hospital, a man in his 30s was in serious but stable condition after being operated on overnight while a man in his 60s was in critical but stable condition. The hospital said both patients are intubated. A woman who was mildly injured is expected to be discharged on Tuesday.

Doctors at the Meir Medical Center said a man and a woman were in serious condition, another man was in moderate condition, and another woman was being treated for light injuries.

The Ichilov Hospital said two male patients underwent orthopedic surgery for broken bones.

Police arrested two Palestinian suspects, identified as Mahmoud Zidat, 44, and his nephew, Ahmed. Both were residents of Bani Naim, near Hebron. Despite not having work permits and being blacklisted from entering Israel by the Shin Bet security agency as security risks, the two had jobs at a Raanana car wash. Their employers have been arrested.

The spree began when they pulled a woman out of her jeep on Ranaana’s Haharoshet St, stabbed her and stole the vehicle then proceeded to run over pedestrians. The Zidats abandonded the jeep after it got stuck.

One suspect stole a second car, and continued ramming into pedestrians before being stopped by police. The other commandeered Blustein’s car, stabbed her, and also continued driving over people. After crashing into an electricity pole, he fled on foot, but was caught a few minutes later.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the suspects were aligned with any Palestinian terror groups. Since Hamas’s October 7 massacre of 1,200 Israelis living near the Gaza border, Israeli security forces have arrested more than 2,650 wanted Palestinian terror suspects in Judea and Samaria, of whom around 1,300 are associated with Hamas.