Limor, the widow of Yonatan Havakuk, one of the victims of the terrorist attack in Elad, has been left to fend for herself with five orphaned children following last night's events.
On her Facebook account, Limor wrote: "It's still hard to believe that I've been left alone with five orphans. It hurts me to think that my tender child saw his father in his last moments. My husband fought against them with great heroism and saved many lives. You will be sorely missed," she concluded.
Natanel Yaakovu, the brother-in-law of Shai Ben Shlomo, who was seriously injured in the Elad terrorist attack, told Kan News what happened at the time of the murder spree.
"He took the kids to the park...They sat on a bench, he read Psalms and after two minutes two guys called him so he turned around, and they hit him with an axe and hammer. My brother-in-law fended them off so that the children could flee," he recounted.
The youngest son of one of the civilians seriously wounded in the attack recounted the first seconds of the tragedy. "Dad said 'go home' and I asked where mom was. I'm afraid they'll do it to me too. It seems they're only attacking moms and dads," he said.
Police said Friday morning that the two main suspects in the attack are Assad Yussef Assad Al-Rafa'i, 19, and Sabhi Imad Sabhi Abu Shakir, 20 of Jenin and asked anyone with knowledge of their whereabouts to call the emergency hotline by dialing 100.
According to newly-released reports, the terrorists who carried out the deadly attack in Elad worked in the city illegally and were familiar with the city.
Security officials believe the assailants have fled Elad following the attack.
Elad Mayor Israel Porush toured the scene of the attack this morning (Friday) and told Israel National News of a sleepless night: "There are a lot of children in this city and many witnessed the attack."
Porush said hundreds of psychologists and social workers were providing assistance to the families of the deceased and wounded.
"The widows' request is to bring their loved ones for burial before the Sabbath, believing the security forces will do anything to make it happen," Porush told Kan News. "Security officials have explained to us that it is safe to open schools. We have many hundreds of volunteers including social workers and psychologists working in the city."
"President Herzog called, as did many others. We have wonderful police in the city. This is a very painful event that needs to be addressed. Every street here has 2-3 schools or religious institutions and every one has an armed security guard."
"This is a very severe tragedy," he continued. "The terrorists knew what they were doing. They did not even [have to use] guns and murdered people with axes, they knew what they were doing. They won't [get out of this alive]. I'm not at liberty to provide details, but can tell you that they have fled the city."
Alon Rizkan, an MDA paramedic, told 103FM radio about the first seconds of the attack: “I arrived at the scene and saw the first victim outside the vehicle, unconscious, with no pulse and no signs of breathing. Such severe injuries, in such critical areas of the body, leave the victim with no chance of survival. As time goes by, their chances continue to diminish."
Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva said on Friday morning that doctors are still fighting for the lives of two men who were wounded in the attack. One of them, a 38-year-old, was operated on during the night and is not out of the woods yet. A second victim, in his 70s, remains in unstable condition.
In addition, another five people with light injuries arrived at the hospital during the night: Four of them suffered anxiety and one was injured in the hand from shards of glass. All five were treated and discharged to their homes.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Thursday night held a security consultation tonight together with the Defense Minister, the Foreign Minister, the Public Security Minister, the Israel Police Inspector General, the ISA Director, the Mossad Director and other senior officials.
"Our enemies have embarked on a murderous campaign against Jews wherever they are. Their goal is to break our spirit but they will fail. We will get our hands on the terrorists and those who aid and abet them, and ensure they pay the price. I offer my deepest condolences to the families of those who were murdered," said Bennett.
Mayor of Lod, Yair Revivo, paid tribute to Oren Ben Yiftach on his Facebook account. "A heavy disaster befell the city of Lod tonight. Oren Ben Yiftach, a 35-year-old resident of the city and father of six was murdered in the terror attack in Elad. Our hearts have been broken to pieces," wrote Revivo.
"We are currently in pursuit of two terrorists, who are believed to have fled the scene," police said. "We have special police forces in the field, Shin Bet forces, helicopters, and other combat units. According to estimates, the terrorists are still in the area and we are doing everything to apprehend them."
Five days ago, Hamas military leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar called on his followers to carry out attacks against Jews. Addressing "our people in the Negev, the Triangle, the Galilee, Haifa, Jaffa, Acre, and Lod," he said that [Israel] had crossed all the red lines and was apparently looking for a 'religious war.'"
