At least three Israelis were shot Thursday evening in a shooting attack in northern Samaria, according to the Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency medical response service.
One Israeli, a 20-year-old yeshiva student, was shot in the neck and killed in the attack, MDA said. A second victim sustained moderate shrapnel wounds to the chest, and the third was reported to be slightly wounded. The two latter victims were taken to Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba.
Terrorists opened fire from a vehicle as they drove past a vehicle carrying Israeli Jews on the road to the Jewish community of Homesh, the IDF said, and then fled the scene.
“A preliminary investigation indicates that it was a shooting attack on a vehicle in which people were settling near the Homesh outpost in the area of the “Samaria” regional brigade,” the IDF said. “The wounded received medical treatment on the spot. IDF forces are searching the area for the suspects.”
A military spokesperson later said that at least 10 shots were fired in the ambush of the Jewish vehicle.
One of the victims, Abba Antman, told reporters at the hospital, “We came out of the pentagon intersection and when we came to the left we suddenly heard a burst of gunfire. I felt a strong blow in my left hand and shouted at the driver to drive fast. Someone shouted behind me in the car that he was hit in the neck. We called the security forces while driving [to Shavei Shomron for help].
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett received an initial briefing to update him on the details of the attack.
This is the latest in a series of terrorist attacks made recently in Israel, such as last week’s stabbing attack at the Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. In the past month alone, two people have been killed and 12 wounded in a total of six different terrorist attacks. There were two shootings and four stabbing attacks.
United Hatzalah volunteers initially treated the three victims when they arrived with their vehicle at the gates of Shavei Shomeron. UH volunteer EMT Netanel Illouz, one of the first responders at the scene, was among those who provided initial treatment to the victims.
A fourth person was treated for emotional shock at the scene by United Hatzalah’s Psychotrauma and Crisis Unit.
TPS contributed content to this report.