Israel on Tuesday named the victims of the horrific eight-minute stabbing spree in the city of Be'er Sheva. Among the victims is a rabbi and a mother of three.
Dorit Habas, 49, from Moshav Gilat in southern Israel was among the victims of the deadly terror attack on Tuesday afternoon. She is survived by her parents, husband and three children and will be laid to rest on Wednesday.
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Aftermath of the fatal stabbing attack in Be'er Sheva and the suspected terrorist Mohammad Abu al-Kiam
(Photo: Haim Hornenstein)
Her nephew, a volunteer paramedic who rushed to the scene, was shocked to see that his aunt was so terribly hurt, but despite his efforts, she was pronounced dead on the scene. Her husband, who works for The Israel Prison Service discovered her dead when he arrived at the scene.
Rabbi Moshe Kravitzky was the first victim of the terror spree. He was riding his bike when he was hit by the assailant's car.
He served as the rabbi of a local Chabad synagogue and ran a food kitchen for the population in need. He was survived by his wife and four children, and will be buried on Wednesday after his family arrives from abroad.
In only eight minutes of horror, a resident of the Negev embarked on his killing spree, murdering four people were killed and wounding four others. Although the police claimed to have been on the scene after only four minutes, the assailant was neutralized by civilians.
After running over Kravitzky, Mohammad Abu al-Kian from neighboring Bedouin town of Hura drove to a gas station where he repeatedly stabbed a woman, killing her too.
After returning to his car, he drove to a traffic circle and on to a shopping area where he stabbed three people, killing one and wounding two others.
He rammed his car into an oncoming vehicle, and attacked a man repeatedly, causing him fatal injuries.
At that point a bus driver, Arthur Haimov, who first thought he was witnessing an accident, saw the assailant on his killing rampage. He called out to him asking him to drop his knife. Abu al-Kian refuses and attempted to attack Haimov who then discharged his gun and killed him.
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Arthur Haimov who shot the assailant in the Be'er Sheva stabbing attack
(Photo: Barel Ephraim)
"I knew this was a terrorist because I heard people shouting and knew I had to do something because no one else was there," Haimov told Ynet.
"When I approached him I said 'drop the knife I won't hurt you,' but he did not. I spoke kindly, and said again drop the knife please. But he charged at me and I understood I was in danger and had to fire my weapon," he said.
Haimov, a married father of five, has been a bus driver for three years following a 20-year service in the IDF.
"I will now go to the shooting range and practice," he said. "It is not easy to take a life but I just wanted to do what was right. More people could have been stabbed. I will now take a few days off work," he said.
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Activists demonstrate in Be'er Sheva during the visit of Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai on Tuesday
(Photo: Herzl Yossef)
Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai, who arrived on the scene of the attack later in the evening, was met with anger from a crowd that included far-right activists, who blasted the police for what they called a weak-handed approach toward threats to the safety of residents of the south.