Three Israelis were killed and eight others wounded in a shooting attack attributed to Palestinians on a bus and other vehicles in the northern region of the occupied West Bank. The incident occurred near the village of al-Funduq, according to reports from the Israeli military and paramedics. The victims have been identified by the Magen David Adom ambulance service as two elderly women and a man in his forties. The bus driver sustained serious injuries during the attack.
The Israeli military reported that armed individuals opened fire on vehicles along Highway 55 before escaping the scene. Following the incident, security forces began pursuing the attackers, establishing roadblocks and encircling multiple towns in the vicinity. Paramedic Avichai Ben Tzurya described the scene as a "very serious attack" involving multiple vehicles, indicating the severity of the situation for those involved.
"We conducted quick searches and identified two females and a male in private cars without a pulse, suffering from severe gunshot wounds. We had no choice but to pronounce them dead at the scene," Ben Tzurya stated. Victims on the bus were treated for gunshot wounds and injuries from shattered glass, including the bus driver, who remained conscious but seriously injured.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack, vowing to bring those responsible to justice, describing the incident as an "abhorrent murder." As tensions remain high following the outbreak of violence since Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Netanyahu assured that no one would escape accountability.
Hamas, while not directly claiming responsibility for the shooting, praised it as a "heroic response" to what they describe as ongoing crimes against Palestinians, including the conflict in Gaza. The cycle of violence in the West Bank has escalated, with recent reports indicating that numerous Palestinians and Israelis have been killed this month alone.
In a separate incident, the Palestinian health ministry reported the deaths of two Palestinians, including a teenager during an Israeli raid in the Askar refugee camp near Nablus. The Israeli military claimed their troops fired on individuals who were attacking them, indicating the ongoing volatility in the region.
