Israel: Palestinian Gunman Injures 3 In Shooting Attack In West Bank, Israeli Forces Searching For Attacker

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the Palestinian shooting attack took place at Tekoa Junction in West Bank from a vehicle.?

"Shots were fired from a vehicle passing by the Tekoa Junction. As a result of the shooting, a civilian was injured and 2 other civilians were injured by shrapnel. IDF soldiers continue their search of the suspects," said IDF in a tweet.

Citing IDF, The Times of Israel reported that the Palestinian gunman or gunmen opened fire from a passing vehicle at the victim’s car on a highway near the settlement of Tekoa, south of Bethlehem and about 16 kilometers (10 miles) south of Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem Post identified the three injured persons as a father and his two minor daughters. The father, aged 36, was serious but stable and was in hospital for a surgeries The daughters suffered shrapnel injuries. Notably, the man, identified as El-Rai Kapach, lost his parents-in-law in another attack in 2005.

The Post reported, "Kapach, a husband and father of five, lives in the West Bank settlement of Nokdim, according to KAN. His wife Tamar's parents were both murdered in an attack on Kibbutz Kissufim during the Gaza disengagement in 2005."

Gush Etzion Regional Council Mayor, and Yesha Council Chairman, Shlomo Ne'eman termed the incident an act of terror.?

"Thank God we just heard a few minutes ago that El-Rai's injuries are not life-threatening, but he is about to undergo a series of surgeries. I thank the security forces who will soon catch the despicable terrorists, and settle the score with them. The regional council and our staff are assisting the family and the residents of Nokdim through this ordeal," said Ne'eman, as per The Post.?

The tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have been the highest over the past year in over a decade. Since early 2022, Israel has been conducting near-daily raids in the West Bank in which Palestinian death toll has mounted. Israel maintains that such raids are part of the Israeli mission to neutralise terrorist and terrorist infrastructure in the region, and many of those killed are terrorists, the Associated Press noted that several stone-throwing youths protesting the raids and others not involved in the confrontations have also been killed. During the same time, the Palestinians have also carried out a string of attacks against Israelis in Israel and in West Bank that have killed dozens of Israelis.?

Earlier this month, Israel launched the largest military operation in almost two decades in Jenin in West Bank. Just as the Israeli military was carrying out the operation, a Palestinian car-ramming and stabbing attack in Israel's Tel Aviv injured eight persons.?