Truck Driver Rescues 6-Year-Old After Father Killed in Jaffa Car Bombing

On June 28, 2026, a car bomb exploded under the vehicle of Iyad Algarab, 38, in Jaffa, killing him instantly and injuring his 6-year-old son, who was seated in the back. A truck driver working nearby was the first to arrive at the scene and rescued the boy from the burning car despite the intense flames. The driver, a father himself, recounted to Walla how the child repeatedly called for his father, unaware he had died. "He kept shouting 'Dad, Dad, I want my dad.' I saw his father was already dead but couldn’t tell him. I told him, 'I’ll bring your dad to you, come with me,' and I just wanted to save him," the driver said.

The explosion occurred suddenly while the driver was unloading goods at a nearby construction site. After hearing the blast, he saw the car engulfed in flames and immediately ran to help. He described pulling the injured child out with his bare hands, despite the danger and the boy’s severe injuries, including wounds to his leg and head. The driver then transported the boy himself to Wolfson Hospital, where the child remains in moderate condition.

The investigation into the bombing has been transferred to the Tel Aviv District Central Unit, which is working to identify the perpetrator who attached the explosive device to Algarab’s car. Authorities are also examining whether the attack is connected to the recent killing of a 17-year-old in Jaffa. No suspects have been arrested so far. This incident is part of a series of violent events in central Israel, with four other people killed overnight and this morning in various locations.