Palestinian gunmen kill four Israelis in West Bank attack
Palestinian gunmen affiliated with the Hamas terror group opened fire at a gas station in the West Bank on Tuesday afternoon, killing four Israelis and wounding four others, the military and medics said.
Terror attack in the West Bank
The terror attack happened at a gas station and an adjacent hummus restaurant near the settlement of Eli. According to the Israel Defense Forces, two gunmen carried out the attack. One of the terrorists was shot dead at the scene by an armed Israeli civilian, while the other fled and was killed some two hours later by special forces. The attack left four people dead and another four injured.
Terrorists’ arrival and initial attack
According to the army’s initial investigation of the attack, the gunmen arrived at the gas station by car and first opened fire with assault rifles at diners in the adjacent Hummus Eliyahu restaurant, after which the terrorists targeted motorists at the gas station itself. Several knives were also found in the car the terrorists arrived in, according to local security officials.
Victims named, Hamas claims responsibility
The four victims were identified as Harel Masood, 21, Elisha Anteman, 17, Ofer Fayerman, 64, and Shmuel Mordoff, 17. The terrorist shot dead at the scene was named as Muhannad Faleh, 26, and the second as Khaled Mustafa Sabah. Hamas claimed Faleh and Sabah as members, but stopped short of claiming responsibility for the attack.
Increased security measures
The military ordered residents of the community to remain in their homes and lock their doors and windows as troops scanned the area. Military chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi toured the scene of the attack later in the day and held an assessment with senior officers. The IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the chief of staff instructed to bolster the area with more forces, carry out arrest operations in the area, and advance the demolition of homes of Palestinian terrorists accused of carrying out deadly attacks.
Palestinian-Jewish conflict
The West Bank has seen a sharp increase in violence over the past 15 months with stepped-up Israeli army raids amid a spate of Palestinian street attacks and Israeli settler aggression. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides condemned the Eli attack and said he was “deeply concerned about the civilian deaths and injuries that have occurred in the West Bank these past 48 hours, including that of minors.”
Hamas claims Eli attack is a response to a raid
Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip and has a network of fighters across the West Bank, described the attack as a “heroic” response to Monday’s Israeli operation in Jenin and said it may be followed by more actions against Israelis “that will shatter their fragile state and turn the lives of their soldiers and settlers into a nightmare.”
Options and reactions
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement before convening security chiefs, “All options are open. We will continue to fight terrorism with all our might, and we will defeat it.” Members of his government called for tough measures, including a full-scale military operation in the West Bank and urged Jewish settlers in the area to carry a weapon.
The end of peace talks and escalation of violence
U.S.-brokered peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians aimed at establishing a state in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem collapsed in 2014 and show no sign of revival. Israel’s hard-right government is set on expanding settlements in the West Bank, where Palestinians exercise limited self-rule, and the military governs more than half the territory.
Conclusion
The latest attack by Palestinian gunmen resulted in four deaths and four injuries, increasing the tension between Israelis and Palestinians. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack but used it as a response to the Israeli army’s action in the West Bank. This incident will lead to more significant security measures and continue to escalate violence, worsen relations between the two groups, and raise alarms of a full-scale conflict.
FAQs
Q: What happened in the gas station attack?
A: Palestinian gunmen affiliated with Hamas attacked a gas station near the settlement of Eli in the West Bank, killing four people and injuring four others. Two terrorists carried out the attack.
Q: Who are the victims?
A: The victims are Harel Masood, 21, Elisha Anteman, 17, Ofer Fayerman, 64, and Shmuel Mordoff, 17.
Q: Who claimed responsibility for the attack?
A: Hamas claimed Faleh and Sabah (the terrorists) as members but stopped short of claiming responsibility.
Q: What are the consequences of this attack?
A: This incident will lead to more significant security measures, continue to escalate violence, worsen relations between Israelis and Palestinians, and raise alarms of a full-scale conflict.
Q: Are there any actions taken by the Israeli government?
A: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement before convening security chiefs that all options are open, and they will continue to fight terrorism with all their might and defeat it. Some members of his government called for tough measures, including a full-scale military operation in the West Bank and urged Jewish settlers in the area to carry a weapon.