2 Palestinians arrested for car-ramming attack, US calls on Israel to scale down operations

Jan 15

Ryan Robertson Anchor

By Ryan Robertson (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Emma Stoltzfus (Video Editor)

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Two Palestinian men killed at least one person and injured at least 12 others on Monday, Jan. 15, in a coordinated “car-ramming” attack, according to Israeli police. The incident occurred in the central Israeli city of Ra’anana.

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Authorities believe the drivers are relatives from the Israeli-occupied city of Hebron in the West Bank, as reported by CBS News. The national police chief announced the arrest of the two men suspected of the terror attack shortly after the incident.

The Ra’anana incident follows 101 days after Israel initiated an offensive in Gaza in response to a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, where the group killed 1,200 people at a festival and took more than 240 hostages.

Over the weekend, Hamas released a video claiming to show three Israeli hostages, vowing that their fate would be known soon.

Amid ongoing military operations, an Israeli airstrike on Sunday, Jan. 14, reportedly killed at least 12 Palestinians inside a house. The Israeli military also announced the uncovering of another Hamas command center.

The conflict in the Gaza Strip has reached a critical point. The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry reports that over 24,000 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 85% are displaced.

The United Nations has called for a humanitarian ceasefire, a move rejected by the Israeli government. Moshe Tetro, an official from the Israeli military body COGAT, stated that aid delivery could be improved if the U.N. provided more workers and trucks for security checks.

The terror attack in Ra’anana raises concerns about the continuity of the Israeli offensive in Gaza. The U.S. demanded a reduction in Israeli military operations just hours before the attack.

According to a report by The Hill, a White House national security spokesperson stated that this is “the right time” for Israel to scale down operations. Initially open to U.S. demands, the Israeli government signaled a reduction in the intensity of the fight against Hamas, withdrawing and rotating military units as a new phase begins amid mounting international pressure to halt the bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Tags: Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Terrorism, Terrorist Attack, United Nations, White House, White House National Security Council

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

TWO MEN IN SEPARATE VEHICLES TORE THROUGH THE STREETS OF A CENTRAL ISRAELI TOWN MONDAY, LEAVING BLOODSHED IN THEIR PATH, IN WHAT ISRAELI POLICE ARE CALLING A TERROR ATTACK.

HAMAS IMMEDIATELY TOOK RESPONSIBILITY SAYING IT IS FOR “ISRAELI CRIMES.”

THE DRIVERS RAMMING INTO BYSTANDERS ALONG THE STREETS OF RA’ANANA, KILLING ONE PERSON AND INJURING AT LEAST A DOZEN.

THE NATIONAL POLICE CHIEF SAYS TWO MEN ARE IN CUSTODY, REVEALING THEY ARE FROM THE CITY OF HEBRON IN THE WEST BANK.

THE RAMPAGE COMES SHORTLY AFTER WE MARKED 100 DAYS OF ARMED CONFLICT IN GAZA FOLLOWING THE OCT. 7 MASSACRE OF MORE THAN 1,200 PEOPLE IN SOUTHERN ISRAEL.

240 CIVILIANS WERE ALSO TAKEN HOSTAGE.

TO MARK THE MACABRE MILESTONE, HAMAS RELEASED A VIDEO OVER THE WEEKEND THEY SAY SHOWS THREE HOSTAGES, VOWING THEIR FATE WILL BE KNOWN SOON.

ALL OF THIS COMES ON THE HEELS OF ISRAEL’S CONTINUED BOMBARDMENT OF GAZA.

SUNDAY NIGHT, AN ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE KILLED AT LEAST 12 PALESTINIANS.

THE SAME DAY THE ISRAELI MILITARY CLAIMED THEY INFILTRATED ANOTHER HAMAS COMMAND CENTER.

THE FIGHTING NOW REACHING A WATERSHED MOMENT.

WITH MORE THAN 24,000 PALESTINIANS KILLED AND ABOUT 85% UNABLE TO GO HOME, ACCORDING TO THE HAMAS-RUN HEALTHY MINISTRY.

THE UN IS STILL CALLING FOR A HUMANITARIAN CEASEFIRE SO AID CAN GET THROUGH TO THE STARVING PEOPLE STILL LIVING IN A REGION LEVELED BY WARFARE.

HOWEVER, ISRAEL’S PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SAYS THE UN IS NOT BEING HELPFUL.

AN ISRAELI MILITARY OFFICIAL SUGGESTS EFFORTS TO HELP PALESTINIANS WOULD BE BETTER IF THE UN PROVIDED MORE WORKERS TO RECEIVE SUPPLIES.

THERE ARE CONCERNS THIS LATEST ACT OF TERROR WILL MEAN THE ISRAELI OFFENSIVE WILL INCREASE IN INTENSITY

AND THE WHITE HOUSE IS UPPING ITS PRESSURE FOR ISRAEL TO SCALE BACK MILITARY OPERATIONS.

HOURS BEFORE THE VIOLENCE UNFOLDED IN RA’ANANA, A U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY SPOKESPERSON SAID IT WAS “THE RIGHT TIME,” FOR ISRAEL TO THINK ABOUT SCALING BACK–AND NETANYAHU’S GOVERNMENT INITIALLY SEEMED OPEN TO THE IDEA.

SIGNALING IT WOULD TONE DOWN THE GROUND ATTACKS

AS THE MILITARY WITHDRAWS AND ROTATES UNITS.

NOW, THOSE PLANS MAY BE AT RISK.