Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Monday expressed his sorrow at the death of two Border Police officers in Sunday's terror attack in Hadera.
"The heart breaks from the death of the Border Police officers Yezen Falah and Shirel Abukarat that were killed protecting civilians from vile murderers with their own bodies," Bennett said.
8 View gallery
Victims of the Sunday terror attack in Hadera in a photo taken hours before they were murdered
(Photo: Border Police)
"We will not forget their courage. I wish a speedy recovery to the wounded and send my deep condolences to the families.
...the second terror attack by Islamic State supporters within Israel forces the security forces to quickly adapt to the new threat, and that's what we'll do", he added. "I'm calling on civilians to stay vigilant. Together, we'll overcome this enemy as well."
Falah and Abukarat were killed when two gunmen opened fire on a main street in Hadera. The terrorists were identified as Ibrahim and Ayman Agbarria, who were cousins and Israeli citizens from Umm al-Fahm in northern Israel. Ibrahim was indicted in 2016 for attempting to join the Islamic State in Syria. The two gunmen were shot dead by police officers who had been dining at a nearby restaurant.
"Luckily, our officers managed to neutralize the assailants and prevent a bigger terrorist attack," police spokesman Eli Levy told public broadcaster Kan.
Their deadly attack came hot on the heels of a stabbing rampage in Be'er Sheva by another Islamic State-affiliated assailant that left four Israelis dead and was also condemned across the board by local political leaders.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that the military and the security forces were deployed and on alert in the wake of the attack.
8 View gallery
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai at the Hadera police station
(Photo: Israeli Police)
"We will act vigorously against terrorism and the terrorists, and we will advance the continued reinforcement of the forces on the ground," Gantz said at the end of a security assessment held on Monday with Bennett and the heads of police, the IDF and the security agencies.
Foreign minister Yair Lapid, who was hosting his counterparts from the U.S., UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, and Morocco in a historic summit in Sde Boker in the Negev, updated the foreign ministers on the tragic event.
"All the visiting foreign ministers condemned the attack, and asked to send their condolences to the families of the victims and wishes for the recovery of the wounded," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
8 View gallery
Negev Summit: Lapid, Blinken, and other Arab counterparts
(Photo: Shlomi Amsalem, GPO)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was on a visit to Israel, took to Twitter to condemn the attack.
"We condemn 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."
President Isaac Herzog said in response to the attack that Israel will not cower to terror and hate.
"The heart breaks from the horrible price that the victims and families had to pay when their entire worlds were came crashing by vile murderers," he said.
"We must fight hatred and terror, I send my condolences to the families of the fallen officers, Falah and Abukarat, and pray for the recovery of the wounded and the fighters that acted heroically".
8 View gallery
Border Police officers Yezen Falah and Shirel Abukarat who were killed in Sunday's terror attack in Hadera
The head of the Islamist Ra'am Party Mansour Abbas was also quick to condemn the attack.
"I condemn the heinous attack in Hadera and state that the despicable terrorism of the Islamic State does not represent Arabs in Israel who are seeking a life of dignity under the law," he said.
"Arabs value the sanctity of human lives and seek a life of Jewish and Arab partnership, peace and tolerance."
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, while Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah welcomed the murderous rampage.
"We welcome the heroic attack against the soldiers of the occupying army in Hadera," the Hamas terror group said in a statement. "This is a natural and legitimate response against the occupation and its crimes. We commend the perpetrators of the attack, which comes as revenge for the martyrs' deaths and periods of occupation."
The Islamic Jihad terrorist organization also issued a statement in support of the attack in Hadera, stating that "the return of the attacks to the center of Israel is a message of deterrence to the settlers and Israeli soldiers."
"The attack in Hadera is the reaction of the Palestinian people and the liberators of the nation to the 'summit of evil' in which the foreign ministers of Arab countries are participating," the organization added, referencing the regional summit in the Negev attended by diplomats from Egypt, the UAE, Morocco and Bahrain.
Hezbollah expressed similar messages on Monday following the attack, saying it was proof "that the Palestinian nation continues to fight the occupation with all possible efforts. The attack is a very important response to the traitorous normalization meetings some of the Arab regimes are holding with the enemy."
The Lebanese terror group later added that "the meetings have no influence on the true decision of the Palestinian people, who clarify every day, that there is no room for normalization with the enemy."
Following the attack, Border Police forces conducted searches in the city of Umm al-Fahm overnight in pursuit of possible accomplices or people who were aware of the terrorists' intentions.
In light of the upcoming month of Ramadan, and in fear of an escalation of violence, Israel is expected to bolster forces nationwide.