For months, residents of the town of Efrat in Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem, have been complaining about the nightly automatic gun fire emanating from the nearby Arab neighborhoods of Bethlehem, in particular, from the direction of the Dheisheh and Irtas neighborhoods of Bethlehem.
Monday night would have been no exception, except that residents of the Dagan neighborhood of Efrat noted that the gunfire sounded much closer. According to local residents, one family in particular had to hit the floor when their home was hit by a dozen bullets, with at least one bullet penetrating a window and hitting inside their home. The attack happened just before 11 PM.
A number of bullets were found outside their home after hitting the stone walls, and one bullet had gone through the window and hit the family play room.
Listening to a video of the bullet fire, it was a very methodical sounding shooting.
It’s known that the various terror groups have been trying to establish a hornets nest in the Bethlehem area similar to what they’ve established in Jenin.
The Efrat municipality released the following statement in response to the dangerous escalation:
Dear Residents,
Last night, loud gunshots were heard close to the Dagan neighborhood.
Security and military forces arrived at the scene to rule out any security threat within Efrat.
Their inspection revealed that this was not a deliberate shooting, but an incident between clans from the nearby villages.
Although the shooting was not aimed at Efrat, this morning it was discovered that damage had been caused to the window of a house in the neighborhood.
We consider this a serious and significant event, and are working with the security forces to prevent further incidents.
Update:
The Efrat Municipality released a new statement on July 27, 2022:
Dear Residents,
In Efrat, we sometimes hear the echoes of gunfire and fireworks from the area of Bethlehem and the nearby villages.
Whenever gunfire is heard, the security center turns to the Etzion Brigade in order to understand the source of the gunfire and to rule out any security incidents within Efrat.
The reasons for shooting can vary from the release of a prisoner/ a wedding / an apology or a quarrel / matriculation results and more.
During the past few nights there was an unusual shooting. The investigation by the army and the Shin Bet revealed that, in at least one case, the shooting was intended to hit houses in Efrat. As a result of the shooting, damage was caused to a house in the Dagan neighborhood.
The Local Council and the security forces take these events very seriously. The Mayor is in direct contact with the commander of the Etzion Brigade, and he receives updates on developments within the investigation and the attempt to catch the shooters.
The Security Department is working in full cooperation with the army and the Shin Bet to ensure the safety of the residents of Dagan and all of Efrat.
Starting tomorrow, Thursday July 28, through Sunday, July 31, Palestinian students are expected to receive their matriculation results. This is accompanied by fireworks, which will likely begin early in the morning . The army is preparing for these days, and at this stage there are no special instructions for residents.
