In a suspected shooting attack on Highway 40 near Bnei Re’em in southern Israel on Friday, two individuals were killed, two were seriously wounded, one was moderately wounded and another was lightly wounded.

A civilian passing by managed to exit his vehicle and fatally shoot the assailant. Subsequent to the incident, police conducted searches in the vicinity to ensure there were no additional perpetrators or accomplices at large. Israel Police Chief Kobi Shabtai and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir proceeded to the scene following the attack.

The assailant arrived at the Re’em Masmiya Junction, situated east of Ashdod, in a stolen vehicle, opening fire on individuals awaiting transportation at a bus stop. Preliminary investigations suggest the assailant was a resident of Shuafat in East Jerusalem, holding Israeli residency.

Following the attack, Shabtai informed reporters that police had heightened their state of alert across the nation.

In response to the incident, the Kiryat Malachi Municipality announced the deployment of municipal security teams at all entrances on the eastern side of the city, positioned south of the attack site.

“We swiftly arrived at the scene with substantial forces,” stated Nachum David, the deputy director of Magen David Adom in the Lachish District, according to the Jerusalem Post. “The scene was highly challenging. We encountered individuals with gunshot wounds, some unconscious. Immediate first aid was administered to the wounded. A young man, approximately 20 years old, was found unconscious without a pulse and not breathing, sustaining gunshot wounds. Life-saving measures were initiated, and he was evacuated to the hospital with resuscitation efforts underway.”

“Another young man, roughly 20 years old, was unconscious, along with a 16-year-old boy and a 65-year-old man who were conscious but had suffered severe penetrating injuries,” David continued. “A 65-year-old woman was in moderate condition, and a 52-year-old man, who managed to flee the scene, contacted us near the neighboring town of Yad Binyamin. Swiftly reaching him, we found him conscious with a penetrating injury to his body. He was also evacuated to the hospital, as his condition was moderate and stable.”