Two Dead in Northern Israel Attacks as West Bank Tensions Reach Critical Point

Violence is breeding more violence in a cycle that shows no sign of slowing. On December 26, 2025, a stabbing and car-ramming spree in northern Israel left two people dead, marking a deadly escalation in regional instability since the start of the conflict in Gaza.

Chronicle of the Friday Attacks

The assailant, identified as a Palestinian who had infiltrated from the West Bank, first struck in the city of Beit Shean. According to Reuters, he rammed his vehicle into a 68-year-old man before speeding onto a highway toward Afula. There, he fatally stabbed a 20-year-old woman near Maonot Junction. A civilian bystander eventually shot and wounded the suspect, who was then taken into custody at a hospital.

Context of Escalation and Military Response

The incident followed another violent episode just one day prior. On Thursday, an Israeli military reservist in civilian clothes rammed his car into a Palestinian man praying by the roadside. While the IDF terminated the reservist's service, the event added fuel to the already volatile situation in the occupied territories.

Since October 7, 2023, the toll has been heavy. The United Nations reports that over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, alongside 57 Israelis in Palestinian attacks. In response to Friday's events, Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the military to prepare for a forceful operation in Qabatiya, the attacker's hometown.