Relatives and community members of the Druze attacker from Shefa-'Amr are in shock after he carried out a terror stabbing attack at Haifa’s Lev HaMifratz central station on Monday morning. They claim he was a young man suffering from mental illness, emphasizing that his entire family serves in the IDF and security forces.

A 70-year-old man was killed, and four others were moderately to seriously wounded in the deadly attack that occurred this morning at the Lev HaMifratz central station in Haifa. The attacker, Yitro Shaheen, was a 20-year-old Druze man from Shefa-'Amr in the Western Galilee.

Shaheen, who also holds German citizenship, had apparently been abroad and recently returned to Israel.

His relatives and family state that he suffered from mental illness and had attempted to take his own life about a month ago. They insist, “The act was not committed out of nationalist motives.”

Majid Shaheen, Yitro’s cousin, told Maariv, "I am in total shock. He was mentally unstable, under social services’ care, and attempted suicide a month ago. He was not in a sound state of mind. He lived in Germany for a period of time and came to visit Israel, and this is what happened. We are a completely normal family. All our children serve in the IDF. We are devastated—this is a severe blow to us."
Israeli security forces at the scene of a terror attack in Haifa, March 3, 2025 (credit: FLASH90)
Israeli security forces at the scene of a terror attack in Haifa, March 3, 2025 (credit: FLASH90)
The cousin added, "I sincerely hope this incident was not nationalistically motivated and do not believe it was. I served in the army for 25 years, as did my children—our entire family. We are completely in the dark. Israel has experienced many incidents; just last week, Jews were arrested for spying for Iran. Each person is responsible for their actions, and this does not reflect on the entire community. We don’t know exactly what happened, and we hope for the best."

Deputy mayor of Shefa-'Amr: 'He had a severe mental illness'

Shefa-'Amr Deputy Mayor Faraj Hanifas told Maariv about the attacker’s background. "Yitro returned with his father from Germany two months ago. He grew up there with his family his entire life. He was mentally ill and received a monthly disability allowance from Israel’s National Insurance Institute due to his recognized psychiatric condition. Over the years, he visited Israel and returned to Germany. The last time he was here was about two months ago with his father."

Hanifas added, "His family served in the army—his grandfather, uncles, and cousins all served in the IDF. He and his brother were born and raised in Germany and did not serve in the military. I can say with certainty that his actions were not nationally motivated—he was mentally ill. Of course, such an act is unforgivable; it is a despicable crime. It is entirely unacceptable, but I state with full responsibility that this was not an act of terrorism."

"I was his neighbor while he was in Israel. I saw him almost every day and knew how sick and miserable he was. He was completely detached. This was not done for nationalist reasons. I met him several times—he was introverted and did not express political views," Hanifas said.

He also criticized the authorities, stating, "It is very unfortunate that official figures rushed to capitalize on the event before fully investigating the matter. This was a young man with a severe mental illness, under the care of the social welfare department. The real culprits are those who decided to cut psychological treatments, allowing such a person to roam freely."

Druze religious leader: 'Druze fight terror everywhere'

The head of the Druze community, Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, issued a statement. "We strongly condemn the incident that occurred this morning. My condolences go to the family of the victim, and I wish a swift recovery to the wounded. This is a very difficult and tragic event," he said.

"My heart is with the families. Before rushing to judgment, it is important to wait for a thorough investigation by security forces to examine the background, origin, circumstances, and the severe mental illness from which he suffered. The Druze community fights terrorism everywhere, and even the civilians who helped neutralize the attacker were Druze."