A 24-year-old Israeli man was moderately wounded in a stabbing attack Sunday morning near the Palestinian village of al-Auja in the Jordan Valley, according to Israeli authorities and emergency services. The victim, identified as Elchanan Hanania of Beitar Illit, was attacked after stopping along Route 90 near a shopping area. Israeli police said a preliminary investigation indicated that the suspect approached the victim from behind while he was outside his vehicle, stabbed him and fled the scene.

Hanania suffered multiple stab wounds to his upper body and was treated at the scene by Magen David Adom and IDF personnel before being evacuated to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem. Reports from his family said he had been traveling with his pregnant wife for a family vacation when the attack occurred, and that he had stopped to purchase cigarettes. His condition was later described as stable, although he was expected to undergo further medical treatment.

The attack triggered a major security operation across the Jordan Valley, with Israeli forces establishing roadblocks and conducting searches in and around al-Auja and Jericho. Special forces, including the Duvdevan unit, were deployed alongside Israeli Air Force assets as soldiers and police worked to locate the suspect, who remained at large in the immediate aftermath. Police investigators also began collecting evidence at the scene while troops questioned suspects and gathered intelligence.

Footage circulating from the scene appears to show an attacker positioned near a vehicle before moving toward the victim, although the precise circumstances depicted in any individual video should be independently verified. Israeli authorities subsequently treated the incident as a terrorist attack and continued a large-scale manhunt, with security forces also sealing or restricting access around parts of al-Auja during the search. Palestinian officials separately reported that Israeli forces entered the village and seized surveillance recordings from businesses and homes as investigators sought evidence.

The incident has renewed attention on the security situation along Route 90 and in the Jordan Valley, where an ordinary stop for shopping quickly turned into a violent attack. With the suspect still being pursued at the time of the latest reports, authorities faced pressure to determine who carried out the stabbing, how the attacker reached the scene and whether anyone else assisted in the escape. The investigation and manhunt remain ongoing, making the circumstances surrounding the attack a major focus for Israeli security forces.