Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has called on Israeli citizens to arm themselves, following a deadly attack in the northern Israeli city of Beit She’an. Ben-Gvir stated, “I call on the citizens of Israel to arm themselves,” emphasizing that “the attack proved that weapons save lives.”
The incident, which occurred on Friday, resulted in the deaths of two Israelis and injuries to six others in a combined vehicular and stabbing assault. Israeli police have identified the perpetrator as a resident of the West Bank.
According to Israeli emergency services, the attack in Beit She’an unfolded across three separate locations. A woman was fatally stabbed, and another individual was killed after being struck by a vehicle. Six others sustained injuries.
Reports indicate that the assailant, a Palestinian youth, initially ran over an Israeli citizen before exiting his vehicle and stabbing a woman. He was subsequently apprehended by Israeli police after being shot.
Ben-Gvir, speaking from the scene of the attack, asserted that the assailant was “neutralized” by an armed civilian, a factor he believes prevented a higher death toll. He encouraged Israelis to take advantage of recent relaxations in firearm licensing requirements and to join civilian emergency response units designed to enhance immediate responses to hostile attacks.
Furthermore, Ben-Gvir reiterated his stance on capital punishment, arguing that “the measure that will save more lives is enacting a law that allows the death penalty for terrorists convicted of carrying out deadly attacks.” He emphasized that perpetrators of such attacks “do not seek death, but rather to remain alive to serve a prison sentence,” thus justifying, in his view, the “necessity of complete deterrence.”
Israeli Army Radio cited a security source stating that the perpetrator of the Beit She’an attack infiltrated from the security barrier area near Jerusalem. He was reportedly banned from entering Israel and had previously been imprisoned for participating in clashes with Israeli forces.
International humanitarian law explicitly prohibits measures of collective punishment against civilian populations for crimes they did not commit. Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention specifically prohibits collective penalties.
