Holocaust survivor Ludmila Lipovsky, 83, was murdered in a terror stabbing attack outside her nursing home in Herzliya on Friday. Security guards neutralized the attacker before arresting him.
An initial investigation revealed that the terrorist was a Palestinian resident of Tulkarm who had previously served a prison sentence in Israel. The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) added that the suspect was a former Shin Bet informant who had helped thwart terrorism in the West Bank.
The Shin Bet’s initial investigation of the attack, which occurred on Herzliya’s Kdoshei Hashoah Street (Holocaust Martyrs Street), indicated that the terrorist committed the murder due to believing his life was in danger.
The Shin Bet’s current assessments indicate that the attacker only decided to act shortly before committing the crime. Officials noted that the suspect had been questioned two weeks earlier, underwent a polygraph test, and used a knife in the attack – suggesting the decision may have been impulsive.
Tel Aviv District police commander Supt. Haim Sargaroff said that the security guards at the scene leapt into action after they heard the terrorist shout “Allahu akbar.”
The Jerusalem Post found on Yad Vashem’s database that Ludmila Lipovsky was born in Buy, Russia, on November 11, 1941, and was in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, during the war.
Michael Dickson, the director of StandWithUs, wrote on X/Twitter that the Holocaust survivor was waiting for her daughter to take her to the doctor when she was killed.
Here’s how cowardly Palestinian terrorists are: today’s victim was an 83-year-old Holocaust survivor, Ludmila Lipovsky. She lived in an assisted living facility, and was waiting for her daughter to take her to the doctor. The jihadi stabbed her to death 6 times, murdering her. pic.twitter.com/CANLdvWp0F
— Michael Dickson (@michaeldickson) December 27, 2024
Yisrael Beyteinu chair Avigdor Liberman said "there are no words to describe the pain and sorrow in this shocking case."
Details of the attack
Magen David Adom paramedic Idan Shina and MDA EMT Elon Boaron, who were the first to arrive at the scene, said teams found the elderly woman lying unconscious with stab wounds. The paramedics stopped the bleeding, resuscitated her, treated her with medication, and evacuated her.
The incident occurred on Herzliya's Kdoshei Hashoah Street [Holocaust Martyrs Street].
"Aside from the woman, there were no other casualties," said MDA spokesperson Zaki Heller after paramedics arrived at the scene.
צרחות וקולות ירי: רגעי ניטרול המפגע מהרצליה | תיעוד(צילום: שימוש לפי סעיף 27 א' לזכויות היוצרים) pic.twitter.com/9JavTWgQmm
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) December 27, 2024
The Israel Police said that forces located and arrested the suspect and that Police Commissioner Danny Levy then arrived at the scene.
Security officials highlighted the key role of informants in thwarting attacks, saving lives, and ensuring national security. These agents often operate under challenging conditions within terrorist networks.
“Counterterrorism is ultimately a profession of risk management,” they said. For exposed agents, a rehabilitation process exists, with most successfully integrating into Israeli society through work or education.
The attacker previously resided in Tulkarm, where Palestinian Islamic Jihad had established a violent terrorist infrastructure known as “Lions’ Den.”
Security officials noted that the Shin Bet and Central Command dismantled this network, with the attacker himself playing a role in its destruction. Despite this, he later committed the brutal murder after he believed his identity was exposed and his life was in danger.