(JNS) Sixteen victims from the deadly stabbing and car-ramming spree on Monday, Jan 15 in Ra’anana remain hospitalized.
One victim, a 79-year-old woman identified as Edna Blustein, was declared dead at Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba on Monday.
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 Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) as security risks, the two men had jobs at a Ra’anana car wash. Their employers have been arrested.
The attack began when they pulled a woman out of her jeep on Ra’anana’s Haharoshet Street, stabbed her, stole the vehicle and then proceeded to run over pedestrians. The Zidats abandoned the jeep after it got stuck.
One suspect stole a second car and continued driving 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 terrorist groups.