Hamas has praised a deadly terror attack in the northern Israeli city of Karmiel, calling it a "natural response" to Israel's operations in Gaza and the West Bank.
In a statement, the terror group described the assailant, Jawwad Omar Rubia, an Israeli Arab from Nahf, as "one of the heroes of our people," but did not claim responsibility for the attack.
The assault, which took place inside a Karmiel shopping mall, left two men wounded, with one later succumbing to his injuries. Rubia was shot dead by security forces at the scene.
According to a report by Times of Israel, Hamas urged for an escalation of operations against Israeli soldiers and civilians, asserting that such measures are essential to "defend the rights" of Palestinians to "liberate their land."
The Karmiel attack is the latest in a surge of violence in the West Bank and Israel since the start of the war in Gaza, which was triggered by a deadly Hamas assault on southern Israel in October. The UN reported that 22 Israelis, including 9 security personnel, have been killed in attacks by Palestinians over the past few months.