Suspected Assassination: 25-Year-Old Killed in Car Explosion Near Or Akiva

A 25-year-old man was killed Thursday evening in a car explosion at the Paluyim Junction on Highway 4, south of Or Akiva. Police are investigating the incident as a suspected assassination, as the victim had survived a previous assassination attempt five months prior. Security footage from the scene shows a Skoda Octavia on the sidewalk near a bus stop, its rear window shattered. MDA emergency services received a report of the explosion at 9:34 PM. Paramedics arriving at the scene found the young man unconscious with severe, multi-system trauma. Despite resuscitation efforts, they were forced to declare him dead at the scene. Paramedic Mohammed Abu Alrob, along with paramedics Simon Bouirat and EMT Mohammed Majadla, described the scene as "very difficult." Police forces from the Hadera station responded, began searches, and collected evidence. The Commander of the Coastal District, Superintendent Yechiel Bohdana, visited the scene and assigned the investigation to the district's Central Unit. Initial findings suggest a criminal background for the incident.