Gaza-Born Israeli Citizen Commits Terror Attack

Latest Developments

Gaza-born Israeli citizen Fadi Abu Latif attacked Israelis on March 14 at a café in the Beit Kama junction, about 20 miles from the Gaza border. Abu Latif stabbed Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officer Uri Moyal in the back as he waited in line. With help from a bystander, Moyal shot the terrorist dead but later succumbed to his wounds. Three others were wounded.

Fadi, 22, grew up in Gaza, where his parents currently reside. His father is from Gaza, but his mother is from the Israeli Bedouin city of Rahat. Fadi reportedly moved to Israel as part of a family reunification process in 2019 and married an Israeli woman.

Expert Analysis

“Hamas’s indiscriminate murder of Muslims and Jews on October 7 helped reinforce the shared destiny of all Israeli citizens. Abu Latif’s despicable attack cannot be ignored, but it should not overshadow the progress in Jewish-Arab unity within Israel.” — David May, FDD Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst

“The recent attack in Beit Kama carried out by an Israeli citizen from Gaza illustrates the diverse backgrounds of some terrorists. Regardless of their origins, they share the common goal of targeting Jews and Israelis. This extremist mindset is often ingrained from a young age, as demonstrated by the attacker who, despite receiving Israeli citizenship, still chose to carry out the attack.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

Israeli Arabs Feel Increasingly Connected to the Jewish State

Soon after Hamas’s October 7 attacks, an Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) poll found that 70 percent of Israeli Arabs identified with Israel, compared to 48 percent in June. An IDI poll released on March 14, 2024, found significant increases in Israeli Arab trust in Israel’s institutions, including the army, between June and December of 2023.

At least nine Israeli Arabs have died while defending Israel since Hamas initiated the current war. Hamas murdered more than 20 Israeli Bedouins and abducted another six on October 7. During Hamas’s killing spree, several Israeli Arabs risked their lives to rescue their Jewish compatriots. In one such example, Rahat bus driver Youssef Ziadna evaded Hamas gunmen while rescuing 30 Israelis from the carnage. Despite the signs of progress in Jewish-Arab unity, Israel indicted an Israeli Bedouin in February for supplying Hamas with information critical in its October massacre.

Related Analysis

“Terror Attack in Southern Israel Kills Two and Wounds Four,” FDD Flash Brief

“Palestinian Teen Stabs Two Israelis at West Bank Checkpoint,” FDD Flash Brief

“Palestinian Cop Murders Two Israelis in West Bank,” FDD Flash Brief