Haifa attack: One dead and four injured in mass stabbing in northern Israel
A 70-year-old was killed and four other people wounded in a stabbing attack on Monday in the northern Israeli city of Haifa, Israeli officials said.
The attack took place in a bus station, Israeli police said, and the attacker was killed, police said.
Eli Bin, head of emergency rescue service Magen David Adom, told Israeli media that four people were wounded in the attack and another was critically wounded by gunfire.
Reports of a shooting element to the attack have yet to be confirmed.
According to Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 news the attack took place near the city’s central bus station.
It was not immediately clear who killed the attacker, whose identity was not immediately known.
An Israel police spokesman said earlier: “Police forces are en route to the scene following reports of a suspected shooting attack in Haifa.
“There are initial indications of multiple casualties, though their condition remains unclear.”
The incident comes amid heightened tensions amid uncertainty over the future of the Gaza ceasefire.
Israel blocked the entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza at the weekend as it demanded Hamas agree to a US plan for a ceasefire extension.
The first phase of a truce deal mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the US expired on Saturday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Hamas was refusing to accept a temporary extension proposed by Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff.
The internationally-mediated ceasefire plan – originally proposed by Joe Biden – envisages three stages.
The first phase came into force on 19 January and expired on Saturday.
Negotiations on phase two, meant to lead to a permanent ceasefire, the release of all remaining living hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, were due to have started weeks ago, but have barely begun.
