On video: Trample and stabbing attack: at least 19 injured in several scenes in the city/according to Section 27 A of the Copyright Law, Reuters
Today (Thursday) the State Attorney's Office submitted to the Central District Court an indictment against Ahmed Zidat (25) and Mahmoud Zidat (45) from Bnei Naim (Hebron district), after they planned and carried out an attack in the city of Ra'anana in which Edna Bluestein was murdered and carried out dozens of other attempted murders.
The indictment filed through Attorney Roy Reis from the Central District Attorney's Office, which includes three charges, indicates that Mahmoud is Ahmed's uncle and that the two live in Judea and Samaria, when they never had a permit to enter, work, stay or stay in Israel or a driver's license in Israel. For years, the two used to stay and spread out in Israel at different workplaces, and at the relevant time, Ahmed also held a fake identity card of an Israeli citizen. Against the background of the two's identification with Hamas and their sympathy for the terrorist attack that took place on October 7, they decided to take part in the war against Israel and cause the death of Israelis Jews.
The scene of the attack in Ra'anana/documentation on social networks according to Section 27 A of the Copyright Law
The scene of the attack in Ra'anana/MDA, operational documentation
Last October, the two had an initial plan to cause the death of as many Israeli soldiers, policemen, or Jewish civilians in the Judea and Samaria area as possible through a mass shooting, trampling or stabbing attack.
To this end, they worked to obtain weapons from Hamas operatives, and later also tried to obtain a vehicle, but their attempts failed.
That's why they stayed with a knife and/or an ax near their home and waited for security forces to stab a soldier, steal his weapon and shoot as many soldiers and other Jewish Israelis as possible.
This plan also failed.
Last December, they planned a second plan according to which they would cause the death of the IDF spokesman in the Arabic language, Lt. Col. Avihai Adrai.
According to this plan, the two will infiltrate Israel, with Ahmed following the IDF spokesman, and if he fails to attack him spontaneously, Mahmoud will join him in carrying out an attack together. Because Ahmed saw the IDF spokesman in August 2022 at a restaurant in Ra'anana, he decided that he lived in the area of the restaurant, And it was agreed between the two that Ahmed would look for him in this part of the city.
In accordance with the second plan, on December 6, 2023, Ahmed infiltrated Israel through a breach in the security fence in the Jenin area, rented an apartment in Ra'anana using the fake ID card, and began working in a car wash business in Ra'anana.
About a week later, Mahmoud also infiltrated through one of the crossings in the Jerusalem area, lived and worked in the Kfar Saba area.
From the moment he infiltrated Israel until the attack was carried out, every evening Ahmed used to look for Adrai in the area of the restaurant, but he did not appear there.
The terrorists wanted to kill him.
Lt. Col. Avihai Adrai/IDF Spokesman
In January 2024, the two decided on a third plan in which they would carry out a mass trampling and stabbing attack, and kill as many Israeli citizens as possible in the city of Ra'anana.
According to this plan, Mahmoud will start working with Ahmed in the business and thus they will have access to empty vehicles equipped with a knife or similar sharp object.
In addition, they decided to split up to collect as many victims as possible in two separate arenas at the same time.
According to the plan, Mahmoud agreed to work with Ahmed when the business owner agreed to give him a tryout for a few days.
On January 15th at noon, each of them took a car that was being washed at the business, equipped with a sharp object, and they started driving to Ra'anana.
Ahmed noticed a pedestrian and when he was sure that he was an Israeli Jew accelerated in his direction and ran over him with the front of the vehicle with such speed and force that the vehicle crossed the traffic island and collided with another vehicle.
Because the car was stuck on the traffic island, Ahmed got out of it while holding a knife, charged towards another vehicle, chased away the female driver who was driving it, crossed the traffic island and started driving against the direction of traffic.
A few meters away, he noticed a couple of pedestrians walking on the sidewalk, and when he was sure that they were Jewish Israelis, he sped towards them and ran over them with the front of his car.
As a result of hitting them, the vehicle he was traveling in got stuck on the pavement.
Ahmed got out of the vehicle and when he noticed that one of the pedestrians he hit with the vehicle was still alive, he leaned towards him and stabbed him powerfully in the chest until the knife broke.
Police officers at the scene of the attack in Ra'anana/TPS, Gideon Markovich
At the same time, Mahmoud continued driving and looked for a gathering, until he noticed about 25 Jewish Israelis at and near a bus stop, which included a population aged 9 to 79. Ahmed got on the sidewalk, accelerated towards the gathering and ran over 18 of the 25 people, crashing into the bus stop and shattering the station's glass.
As a result, his car got stuck and he fled the scene.
Later, rescue forces arrived and evacuated the injured to the hospital, with Edna Bluestein mortally wounded, two others seriously.
Edna was pronounced dead at the hospital.
There are other injured people who were transported while they are sedated and ventilated to the hospital and their condition remains serious.
Near the attack, the two were caught by the police.
Edna Bluestein.
Murdered in the attack in Ra'anana/courtesy of the family
In the arrest request, Attorney Reyes stated that "the deep identification of the respondents with such horrific, cruel and murderous acts of mass terrorism that were carried out on October 7, their perpetrators, and the terrorist organization that led them, and their decision to carry out a cruel and murderous terrorist attack themselves (after they were unable to carry out attacks They were preceded by a conspiracy and they tried to promote them) - all in the midst of and in the context of an ongoing war - shows an extreme, eager, and unbridled nationalist ideology of hostility towards Jews, which means a distinct danger on the part of the respondents.
" actual consideration and formation of a decision to kill and an act of terrorism) together, a terrorist act of attempted murder together, a terrorist act of serious injury under aggravated circumstances together, injury under aggravated circumstances together with a motive of racism or hostility towards the public, conspiracy to commit the crime of an act of terrorism, preparation for the commission of a terrorist act together, illegal possession of a knife together with a motive of racism or hostility towards the public, illegal entry and residence in Israel, use of a forged document under aggravating circumstances, impersonation of another person, driving without a license, use of a vehicle without permission together with a motive of racism or hostility towards the public, willful damage in a car together out of a motive of racism or hostility towards the public.
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