Two officers, a male and a female, were declared dead at the scene, while a male officer in his 50s was later pronounced dead at Soroka Medical Center.
Terrorism
No injuries were reported in the late-night incident, but the vehicle suffered damage.
“What happened is nothing else than an overt miracle from the heavens,” said one yeshiva student.
The incident took place on a main highway some nine miles north of Jerusalem.
“We are in a kind of miracle that the incident did not end in dozens of deaths,” said Ayalon District Police Commander Haim Bublil.
The terrorist, a 35-year-old resident of the village of Salfit in Samaria, was neutralized by a police officer.
Israeli forces are searching for the terrorist, who fled after shooting and stabbing a 50-year-old man. The victim was evacuated to hospital in serious condition.
One victim was critically injured.
The assailant was shot dead, according to police.
Israel has in many ways become its own worst enemy by continuing to cooperate with hostile international entities.