Kafr Qassem Mayor Adel Badir attended the funeral of the terrorist who lured police into a shooting and ramming attack in the Israeli Arab city on Thursday night, Ynet reported.
The funeral was attended by several dozen people after the police acted to limit its size.
Badir claimed that he was not certain the shooting was a terrorist attack, saying that he trusted the authorities to carry out a thorough investigation of the incident and that the proliferation of illegal weapons in the Arab sector was a significant problem.
Last night, police released bodycam footage as well as a recording of the phone conversation between a police officer and the Arab terrorist who proceeded to open fire and shoot at him and his partner and run them over in Kfar Qassem.
In the phone conversation, the terrorist can be heard instructing the officers, who were under the assumption that they were responding to a call, how to reach his location. The conversation cuts out as the terrorist opens fire on the officers. Later in the video, the conversation between the officers can be heard.
After opening fire on the officers, the terrorist proceeded to enter a vehicle and attempted to run down the officers.
The terrorist who drove the vehicle that carried out the attack was neutralized.
The officers, who suffered light injuries, were evacuated to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva for treatment.
Special police forces were called to the scene to conduct searches for additional suspects, with the assistance of a police helicopter. A search of the building from which the attacker came found a Carlo-type weapon, ammunition, and firebombs. In addition, a knife was found in the terrorist’s vehicle.
The commander of the Central District of the Israel Police, Superintendent Avi Biton, conducted a special situation assessment at the scene. Following the assessment, he said that the evidence and the officers’ testimony show that the attack that was likely planned a few days in advance.
"The officers acted in a determined manner as is expected in such an event from our officers," said the district commander.