In 1994, a shocking attack occurred in Afula, Israel, when a 19-year-old female Israeli soldier was brutally attacked by a Palestinian member of Hamas. The incident took place near Afula's police station while the soldier, Liat Gabai, was on her way home from her military base to attend her grandmother's memorial service.
Preparations for the Attack
On the morning of November 30, 1994, Wahib Ali Abu Rub, a member of Hamas, decided to carry out an attack on an IDF soldier. He purchased a pickaxe in Jenin and managed to evade Israeli checkpoints by traveling on dirt roads in a taxi.
The Attack
Abu Rub entered Afula and approached Liat Gabai from behind on a busy downtown street. He struck her head multiple times with the pickaxe before being subdued by bystanders. Gabai was rushed to HaEmek Medical Center in critical condition but succumbed to her injuries two hours later. She was posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant and buried in the military cemetery in Afula.
Subsequent Events
Victim
Liat Gabai's death was a significant loss and had a profound impact on the Israeli public. The attack heightened fears about personal security and increased tensions in the region.
Attacker
Wahib Ali Abu Rub was sentenced to life imprisonment for the attack. However, he was released in 2011 as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas. In 2014, he was rearrested for resuming militant activities. A judicial committee ruled that he had breached his release conditions, and he was ordered to serve his full life sentence. An appeal by Abu Rub was rejected by the Nazareth District Court.
Reactions
The attack was condemned by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who emphasized that violence would not derail Middle East peace talks. In the mid-2000s, Israeli singer Shai Gabso recorded a song titled "You Tell Me" (תגידי לי את), dedicated to Liat Gabai with the help of her former commander, Lt. Col. Yair Ben-Shalom.
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