A Palestinian shooting attack on a bus and two cars in the north of the occupied West Bank has left three Israelis dead and eight wounded. The victims include two women aged 70 and a 35-year-old police officer. The driver of the bus was seriously injured.
The Israeli military said “terrorists” opened fire near the village of al-Funduq, fleeing the scene after attacking multiple vehicles. Palestinian gunmen were identified as having carried out the attack, with security forces pursuing them in the area. Roadblocks and several towns were encircled to capture suspects.
Israeli media reported that at least two Palestinian gunmen were involved, while the military confirmed a large-scale operation was underway. The wounded Israelis were taken to two hospitals in central Israel for treatment.
The victims have been identified as Aliza Reiss (70) and Rachel Cohen (73), residents of the West Bank settlement of Kedumim. The third victim, Master Sergeant Elad Yaakov Winkelstein, a police investigator from northern Israel, was also killed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to bring justice to those responsible for the attack, calling them “abhorrent murderers.” Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel would not tolerate a Gaza-like reality in the West Bank and promised “forceful action” against suspected attackers.
The attack occurred during a surge in violence in the West Bank since the start of the war triggered by Hamas’s deadly attack on southern Israel.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdjgv1r4x81o