The scene of the attack in Karmei Zur
(Video: Shalev Shalom )
Heroism and luck are believed to have averted a deadly coordinated terror attack Friday night, as new testimonies from those present at the two scenes paint a clearer picture of the events.
At a gas station near the Gush Etzion junction, where the first explosion occurred, an employee recounted that the car bomb "entered against the flow of traffic. As it pulled in, the hood caught fire and the terrorist got out—completely burned."
The worker described how another employee tried to extinguish the terrorist with a water hose, thinking it was just a car fire, not realizing it was a terror attack. After the terrorist, identified as Mohammed Marka, exited the vehicle, soldiers at the scene struggled to communicate with him and asked the employee to translate. Suddenly, Marka began to run and was subsequently shot and killed.
Another worker noted that the two terrorists' vehicles—Marka's and that of Zahdi Abu Afifa—met before the attack in a parking lot near the gas station. One car entered the station while the other continued elsewhere.
Minutes later, at a second location, Abu Afifa breached the nearby settlement of Karmei Tzur. According to a resident, a warning was received shortly before the car bomb arrived. The resident reported seeing a black Volkswagen approaching the settlement’s gate slowly. The guard opened the gate for inspection, allowing Abu Afifa to enter the settlement.
By the morning, it was revealed that the bombs detonated Friday night did not contain standard explosives but were still powerful, packed with gas canisters. Following the attack, IDF forces arrested six suspects in Hebron and imposed a military closure on the city.
Security forces now suspect that a third car bomb, which has not yet been located, may have been traveling alongside the two that originated from Hebron and drove along Route 60 in Gush Etzion. Numerous roadblocks remain in place throughout the area as the search continues.
The two terrorists, both in their 20s, were reportedly unknown to Israeli security forces, with no apparent organizational ties. Investigators are exploring the possibility that they were directed by external actors and received funding for the planned triple attack.
The incident began at 11:35 p.m. Friday night with the explosion of a car at the gas station and continued with the infiltration of Karmei Tzur. Preliminary details indicate that Abu Afifa crashed the settlement's gate in a rigged vehicle and attempted to run over the security guard. A security patrol officer engaged, rammed the terrorist’s vehicle and opened fire. The rigged car exploded, killing the terrorist inside.
In the first explosion, a 24-year-old IDF officer was moderately wounded, and a 34-year-old reserve officer sustained light injuries, both from accidental IDF gunfire.
In Karmei Tzur, a 28-year-old security officer was lightly injured in the collision with the terrorist's car and was taken to Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center before being released home.