Palestinian Gunmen Responsible for Killing Israeli Man
In a tragic incident near an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli man lost his life. In contrast, 13 others sustained injuries in an attack carried out by three Palestinian gunmen. The assailants targeted vehicles waiting at a checkpoint on a highway outside Maale Adumim, firing automatic weapons. The prompt response from security forces and armed civilians resulted in the death of two attackers, while the police detained the third.
The attack unfolded near the al-Zaim checkpoint on Highway 1, a crucial route connecting Maale Adumim with Jerusalem. Three Palestinian gunmen, armed with weapons such as an M-16 rifle and a Carlo sub-machine gun, arrived at the scene in separate vehicles. Upon disembarking, they opened fire at vehicles caught in a traffic jam, prompting a rapid and robust counteraction from security forces and civilians present.
The Israeli Magen David Adom ambulance service reported casualties in five vehicles along a 500-meter stretch of the highway. One victim, identified as 26-year-old Matan Elmaliach from Maale Adumim, succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Thirteen others, including a 23-year-old pregnant woman in serious condition, were wounded and subsequently hospitalized.
The attackers, identified as three Palestinian men, including two brothers from Bethlehem in the West Bank, faced the consequences of their violent actions. Two were shot dead by security forces and civilians at the scene, while the third attempted to escape but was successfully neutralized and taken into custody.
This incident adds to the escalation of violence in the West Bank. This trend has been exacerbated since the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip following Hamas’s attacks on Israel in early October. The United Nations reported that, as of Tuesday, at least 394 Palestinians, comprising members of armed groups, attackers, and civilians, had lost their lives in conflict-related incidents in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, or in Israel. During the same period, 12 Israelis, including four security forces personnel, also lost their lives.
The aftermath of the attack saw calls from Israeli politicians for heightened security measures. Itamar Ben-Gvir, the National Security Minister representing the far-right, emphasized the need to distribute more weapons to Israeli civilians for protection. He also advocated for increased roadblocks around Palestinian communities in the West Bank. Another far-right figure, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, urged the immediate approval of plans for thousands of additional homes in settlements like Maale Adumim.
In response to the incident, the Palestinian armed group Hamas praised the attack, characterizing it as a “natural response” to what they perceive as Israeli “massacres and crimes” in Gaza and the West Bank. They further called on Palestinians to take up arms.
This attack follows closely on the heels of a similar incident six days prior, where a Palestinian man shot and killed two people at a bus stop near Kiryat Malakhi in southern Israel. The continuous cycle of violence underscores the challenges in achieving stability and peace in the region.
Comment Template