A bank robbery in Israel resulted in a gunfight that left five dead, including the suspect.
The lethal bank robbery occurred in a Bank Hapoalim branch Be’er Sheva. The suspect, described as a man in his forties, is said to have killed four patrons before taking a hostage .
As police confirmed five dead in the bank robbery in Be’er Sheva, the gunman’s identity was not yet disclosed. However, Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch briefly discussed the suspected precipitate for the deadly situation.
Aharonovitch confirmed that the suspect is believed to have returned “with a pistol and shot dead four people… bank employees and customers,” and said:
“It appears that we are talking about a lone individual who came to the bank in the morning hours, sought cover for a debt, a loan, and did not get it… He took a hostage, held her for close to an hour or more. The moment the police forces burst in, he killed himself – shot himself and committed suicide.”
As information regarding the alleged gunman was released, the mayor of a neighboring city took exception to early reports claiming two residents of the city may have been responsible for the violent robbery.
Rahat Mayor Faiz Abu-Seheban was quoted by the Jerusalem Post as saying:
“There is a lot of anger in the city because they blamed the city of Rahat and its residents for this despicable act that we condemn unequivocally.”
Abu-Seheban added:
“The Israeli media is always full of stereotypes against the Beduin community, when all we want is to live as good neighbors here on our land.”
Three of the five dead in the bank robbery in Israel have been identified as manager Avner Cohen, deputy Meir Zitun and customer Anat Even-Haim.