Israeli Arab Attacker Kills 35-Year-Old Man, Wounds Five Near Qalqilya

A suspected terror drive-by shooting in central Israel near the occupied West Bank city of Qalqilya killed a 35-year-old man and wounded five others, with police describing the attacker as an Israeli Arab from the nearby Israeli city Tayibe.

“At least one man has been killed and five wounded in central Israel, Israeli medics have said, in what police called a suspected “terror attack””

Al Jazeera

Reuters said the suspected gunman was also killed and that police located the suspected vehicle used, while Israeli ambulance service said the man died from gunshot wounds.

Al Jazeera

The shootings took place near the Palestinian West Bank city of Qalqilya, and police said the blaze of gunfire hit three nearby locations, with two of the wounded described as seriously.

Israeli soldiers were deployed to one of the sites in central Israel and to a nearby Israeli settlement in the West Bank after the shootings, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been briefed, his office said in a statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised authorities for neutralizing the gunman, saying, "This morning, a heinous terrorist went out, reached Kochav Yair, and unfortunately managed, before being eliminated, to murder an Israeli citizen and injure others," while the CBC reported the attacker was killed by police.

Hardline Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for a "profound change" among Israel's Arab community, saying they are a "dangerous and extremist breeding ground for terrorism is growing that seeks to destroy the State of Israel," as police and medics said five people were wounded.

Al-Monitor

Hamas praised the shootings but did not claim responsibility, and Al Jazeera reported that the group commended the attack, calling it a "heroic" operation.

In a separate account, CBC said police arrested a second person involved later Sunday after the man attempted to stab police with a glass bottle, while the Washington Post said the attacker was killed by police and a reservist was among the wounded.

Police said they killed a suspect allegedly involved in the shooting following a manhunt, and Al Jazeera quoted police urging the public to be vigilant and report suspicious incidents.

The attack prompted security deployments, with Israeli soldiers deployed to the attack sites and to a nearby West Bank settlement, and residents told to stay at home as children were kept in lockdown at school for at least three hours.

Multiple outlets described the shooting beginning at a gas station near the town of Kokhav Yair, continuing in towns including Tzur Yitzhak and Tzur Natan and close to the Israeli settlement of Sal'it, with the Magen David Adom rescue service reporting five wounded and two in serious condition.

The incident unfolded amid heightened tensions following a spate of Israeli settler attacks and the deadly shooting of a Palestinian baby over the weekend in the nearby West Bank, and the Washington Examiner linked the day’s violence to "the scenario we were expecting" of terrorists crossing from over the boundary.