A Palestinian man opened fire in several towns across central Israel on Sunday, resulting in one death and five injuries, according to police reports. The deceased was identified as a 35-year-old Israeli man, with two of the injured individuals suffering severe wounds. The gunman, who is in his 20s and holds Israeli citizenship, has not disclosed his motives.
The incident occurred amid heightened tensions between Palestinians and Israeli settlers, following an event where Israeli troops shot at a vehicle in the West Bank, leading to the death of a 7-month-old baby. In response to the shootings, residents were advised to remain indoors, and schools were temporarily locked down.
The shooting spree began at a gas station in Kochav Yair, located on the Israeli-West Bank border, and continued into nearby towns, including Salit in the West Bank. Police reported the arrest of an accomplice who attempted to attack officers with a glass bottle.
Oshrit Gani Gonen, the head of the regional council, expressed surprise that the attackers were Israeli citizens, stating, "Since Oct. 7, the scenario we were expecting was terrorists crossing into our towns from over the boundary. I don’t think that anyone imagined that we would discover the attackers were Israeli citizens."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commended law enforcement for neutralizing the gunman. Itamar Ben-Gvir, the security minister, released a video next to what appeared to be the blurred body of the gunman, stating, "This is the end of every terrorist, this is how it should look."
On the same day, Israeli Defense Forces reportedly killed at least four Palestinians in Khan Younis, Gaza. The IDF has not commented on these strikes but asserts that its operations target militants posing threats to Israeli troops.