Ludmila Lipovsky, 83, was seriously injured in Herzliya on Friday after being stabbed by a 28-year-old Palestinian terrorist near the sheltered home complex she resided in. The assailant was later neutralized by Israel Post Company security guards on the scene. A Maged David Adom (MDA) emergency service team arrived on the scene and treated the injured woman before evacuating her to the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, which was forced to announce her death shortly after.
Footage of attack in Herzliya
(Video: Magen David Adom)
"I won’t delve into how Palestinians without entry permits infiltrated Israel. We’re investigating this alongside the Shin Bet to ensure such incidents don’t happen again," Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levi said.
An initial investigation into the incident revealed the terrorist was a resident of Tulkarem located in the West Bank who had been placed under administrative detention three times in the past. His most recent arrest was served between June 28, 2023, and June 24 of this year.
"The suspect in this morning's stabbing attack in Herzliya is a Palestinian from the West Bank area, a former Palestinian Security Service collaborator who was involved in foiling terrorist infrastructures in the West Bank, exposed and transferred for rehabilitation in Israel. The suspect was arrested at the scene and will be brought to Shin Bet custody for further questioning into the circumstances of the attack," the Shin Bet said.
No other injuries were reported. "We are fighting to save the woman's life. The attacker was neutralized by security personnel," a MDA spokesperson said shortly after the attack.
"We received a report of a woman injured in a stabbing. We quickly arrived at the scene and found the woman lying unconscious, suffering from a stab wound to her body. We provided her with initial medical treatment while evacuating her to the hospital in critical condition," MDA paramedic Idan Sheina recounted.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
"Several reports were received about gunfire and a suspected stabbing in Herzliya," the Israel Police said in a statement. "Large forces are on the scene. The terrorist has been arrested and circumstances around the incident are being investigated."
Israel Police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Aryeh Doron, added, "What we can confirm is that a suspected terrorist stabbed a woman in critical condition. Officers are searching the area to rule out the presence of additional suspects."