ISIS claims responsibility for deadly shooting attack in Israel
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Israeli security forces gather at the site of an attack that left two dead in the city of Hadera on March 27. Photo: Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP via Getty Images
Police said Sunday that gunmen killed at least two Israelis and wounded several others in what officials described as a "terrorist attack" in the central Israeli city of Hadera. Militant group ISIS later claimed responsibility for the attack.
The big picture: The shooting took place as Secretary of State Tony Blinken visits the country to attend a historic series of meetings with the foreign ministers of Israel, Egypt, Morocco, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in southern Israel.
Driving the news: Sunday's attack began around 9pm local time, when the two assailants started shooting with automatic weapons on a group of police officers and civilians, according to police.
- Officers from a special police unit who were at a nearby restaurant responded to the scene when they heard gunshots and killed the two perpetrators, police said.
- The two attackers were cousins from the Arab city of Umm el-Fahm in Israel, police said. Israeli officials claim the attackers were supporters of ISIS.
- Police forces made several arrests in Umm el-Fahm after the attack.
What they're saying: "Tonight's heinous terrorist attack is an attempt by violent extremists to intimidate and damage the fabric of life here," Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid tweeted.
- Lapid briefed his Egyptian, Moroccan, Emirati and Bahraini counterparts about the attack and they all condemned it, the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement. Blinken joined the foreign ministers at the meetings' location about an hour and a half after the attack, according to Israeli foreign ministry officials.
- Blinken tweeted later that the U.S. condemns "today’s terrorist attack in Hadera, Israel."
- "Such senseless acts of violence and murder have no place in society. We stand with our Israeli partners and send our condolences to the families of the victims," Blinken added.
- A senior Israeli foreign ministry official told reporters the meetings between the foreign ministers will continue Monday as planned.
State of play: Four Israelis were killed in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba last week in the deadliest terrorist attack on Israeli civilians since 2016.
- According to police, the attacker, who was also killed, was a convicted supporter of ISIS.
- The Israeli Shin Bet security agency is investigating whether the perpetrators of Sunday's shooting have any connections to the Beersheba attacker, according to Israeli security officials.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with ISIS' claiming responsibility for the attack, Blinken's statement, as well as additional details from police and Israeli officials.
