Three Israelis Killed in West Bank Shooting Attack
Deadly Attack on Israeli Highway Leaves Three Dead, Escalating West Bank Violence
AL-FUNDUQ, West Bank – A brazen attack on a busy highway in the West Bank has left three Israelis dead and several others injured, further escalating tensions in the region already reeling from the ongoing conflict with Hamas.
The attack, which unfolded Sunday evening on Highway 55 near the Palestinian village of al-Funduq, involved gunfire targeting both private vehicles and a public bus. Magen David Adom paramedic Avichai Ben Tzurya described the scene as “a very serious attack spread across the road involving multiple vehicles.”
“We conducted speedy searches and identified two females and a male in private cars without a pulse,suffering from severe gunshot wounds,” Ben Tzurya said. “We had no choice but to pronounce them dead at the scene.”
Inside the bus, paramedics treated victims with gunshot wounds and injuries from shattered glass. The bus driver, conscious but wounded, was among those transported to hospitals in central Israel along with other passengers in mild to moderate condition.
The victims where later identified as 70-year-old Aliza Reiss and 73-year-old Rachel Cohen,residents of the West Bank settlement of Kedumim,and Master Sergeant Elad Yaakov Winkelstein,a police investigator from Kibbutz Ein Hanatziv.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack,vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice. “No one will get away,” he wrote on X,formerly known as Twitter.
Defense Minister Israel Katz echoed Netanyahu’s sentiments, ordering the Israeli military to “act forcefully in every location” linked to the attackers.He vowed that Israel would “not tolerate a Gaza-like reality” in the West Bank.
While no Palestinian group immediatly claimed duty for the attack, Hamas praised it as a “heroic response against [Israel’s] continued crimes,” citing the ongoing war in Gaza.
This attack comes amidst a surge in violence in the West Bank since the start of the war with Hamas on October 7th.Hundreds of Palestinians and dozens of Israelis have been killed in the escalating conflict.Just hours before the highway attack, the Palestinian health ministry reported the deaths of two Palestinians during Israeli military operations in the West Bank. A 17-year-old boy was killed in an Israeli raid on Askar refugee camp near Nablus, while a 40-year-old man was killed in the town of Meithalun.
The Israeli military confirmed the incidents, stating that troops fired on individuals who hurled explosives at them in the Nablus area and that an armed suspect was killed during an operation in Meithalun.
The violence continues to cast a dark shadow over the region, with no clear end in sight.
West Bank Violence Spikes: A Discussion
Daniel: Did you hear about the awful attack on the highway near al-Funduq? Three israelis were killed, it’s just heartbreaking.
Sophia: No, I haven’t seen anything about it yet. What happened?
Daniel: Apparently, it was a drive-by shooting. Someone opened fire on cars and a bus on Highway 55.
A paramedic described the scene as “very serious” with multiple vehicles targeted. Two women and a young police officer were killed on the spot.
Sophia: That’s terrible. Were there any others injured?
Daniel: Yes, quite a few people on the bus were hurt, some with gunshot wounds and others from broken glass. They were taken to hospitals in central Israel.
Sophia: This seems connected to the ongoing conflict, right?
Daniel: Absolutely. Prime Minister Netanyahu condemned the attack and vowed to find the perpetrators. The Defense Minister even said Israel wouldn’t tolerate a “Gaza-like reality” in the West Bank.
Sophia: Right,the situation with Hamas in Gaza has been escalating for weeks. It’s tragic.
Daniel: And it seems the violence is spilling over to the west Bank. This attack happened just hours after two Palestinians were killed in israeli military operations near Nablus. It’s a vicious cycle.
Sophia: Has anyone claimed duty for the highway attack?
Daniel: Not yet, but Hamas praised it, calling it a “heroic response” to Israel’s actions.
Sophia: This is so disheartening. what’s going to happen next, do you think?
Daniel: I honestly don’t know.The situation on the ground is incredibly complex and there seems to be no easy solution. It’s a scary time.