{"id":851071,"date":"2026-06-07T16:56:30","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T16:56:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/851071\/"},"modified":"2026-06-07T16:56:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T16:56:30","slug":"reservist-killed-five-hurt-in-central-israel-terror-shooting-spree-by-arab-israeli","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/851071\/","title":{"rendered":"Reservist killed, five hurt in central Israel terror shooting spree by Arab Israeli"},"content":{"rendered":"

An Arab Israeli terrorist opened fire in several locations in a shooting spree in central Israel on Sunday, killing a reservist soldier and wounding five other people before he was shot dead by security forces, first responders said. Police later arrested a second man accused of involvement in the attack.<\/p>\n

The Magen David Adom ambulance service said it treated two men in their 30s shot at a gas station near Kochav Ya\u2019ir, one of whom was in serious condition; a 31-year-old man and 61-year-old woman shot in the entrance to Tzur Yitzhak, both of them in moderate condition; and two men shot outside Tzur Natan \u2014 one who succumbed to his wounds and another man who was in serious condition.<\/p>\n

The slain man was\u00a0identified by the military as Master Sgt. (res.) Haim Kalomiti, 55, a reservist soldier from Tzur Natan.<\/p>\n

Kalomiti served in the IDF\u2019s Ephraim Regional Brigade as a \u201cregional defense soldier\u201d \u2014 a reservist recruited by the military to defend their community in the West Bank and along its border. Tzur Natan is located adjacent to the West Bank security barrier.<\/p>\n

Alongside Kalomiti, the security coordinator for Tzur Natan was severely wounded in the attack, according to the military. The security coordinator, also a reservist, was taken to a hospital and his family was notified, the army added.<\/p>\n

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After the attack began in Kochav Ya\u2019ir, sirens sounded in Tzur Natan and Tzur Yitzhak, warning of terrorist infiltration and calling on residents to barricade themselves at home. The order was lifted some five hours later.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tMaster Sgt. (res.) Haim Kalomiti, 55. (Courtesy)<\/p>\n

The three communities, north of Tel Aviv, neighbor each other and lie close to the West Bank security barrier on the Israeli side.<\/p>\n

Security officials identified the terrorist as Omar Yassin, an Israeli citizen in his 20s who resided in Tayibe, an Arab town just north of Kochav Ya\u2019ir.<\/p>\n

According to the police and security officials, Yassin headed out of Tayibe at around 10:30 a.m. in a vehicle with Israeli license plates that was on the road illegally, while armed with a makeshift \u201cCarlo\u201d submachine gun.<\/p>\n

He first opened fire at civilians at a gas station near Kochav Ya\u2019ir, injuring two people, before continuing toward Tzur Yitzhak, where he opened fire at the community\u2019s security post, injuring one civilian in the area, police said.<\/p>\n

Police said Yassin then continued to Tzur Natan, where he opened fire on that community\u2019s guard post, wounding the security coordinator and a civilian woman who was nearby. On a road outside the community, the terrorist opened fire on a vehicle, killing Kalomiti.<\/p>\n

After the shootings near those communities, the terrorist drove to the nearby West Bank settlement of Sal\u2019it \u2014 located in the \u201cseam zone,\u201d meaning on the Israeli side of the West Bank security barrier \u2014 opened fire on the entrance to the settlement and fled after the local security chief shot back. No one was injured in that incident.<\/p>\n

Police officers finally caught up to the terrorist at around 11:03 a.m. near a quarry on the outskirts of Tayibe and shot him dead, the police said.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tSecurity forces work the scene of a terrorist shooting attack at a gas station near Kochav Ya\u2019ir, in central Israel, on June 7, 2026 (Jack GUEZ \/ AFP)<\/p>\n

Following the attack, the IDF said it encircled several West Bank Palestinian villages in the area of Kochav Ya\u2019ir and sealed off a nearby crossing into Israel.<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an assessment following the attack and was monitoring the situation, his office said.<\/p>\n

After initially saying the perpetrator who had been shot dead acted alone, police later said they arrested a second suspect, a man in his 20s also from Tayibe.<\/p>\n

Police said that officers received intelligence on a man who admitted to his involvement in the attack while searching for help in hiding from law enforcement.<\/p>\n

During his arrest, the suspect tried to stab police detectives with a glass bottle, police said. Officers managed to subdue him and take him into custody with no injuries.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tMedics work the scene of a terrorist shooting near Tzur Yitzhak, in central Israel, on June 7, 2026. (Magen David Adom)<\/p>\n

Hila Hakmon, head of the Kochav Ya\u2019ir local council, said the attack underscored the West Bank border communities\u2019 demands for greater defense funding following the Hamas-led onslaught in Gaza border communities on October 7, 2023.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, the changes in the security elements over the past two years are relatively marginal,\u201d she told Army Radio. \u201cWe got some kind of funding from the army, but it\u2019s a drop in the bucket compared to what is needed here, and the proof is what happened today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moshe, an eyewitness who has lived in the area for the past four decades, was quoted by the Haaretz newspaper as saying, \u201cI don\u2019t know of an event like this in the past 40 years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI heard the sound of submachine guns, poked my head out of the window and immediately heard there was an incident that began in Kochav Ya\u2019ir,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not afraid \u2014 I have plenty of friends in Tayibe and Tira, neighbors. I live with them in peace,\u201d he added, referring to two neighboring Arab cities.<\/p>\n

An unnamed relative of the killed terrorist was quoted by Haaretz as saying Israeli security forces raided the family home in Tayibe.<\/p>\n

\u201cLarge forces came and started beating us,\u201d she said. \u201cThey seated us on the floor, covered our eyes and interrogated us. They let me leave because I was with a child.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nava Freiberg and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.<\/p>\n


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