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

[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.