Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Monday to capture the “despicable killers” behind a terrorist attack in the West Bank that left three Israelis dead, including a police officer.
Off-duty First Sgt. Elad Yaakov Winkelstein and his sisters-in-law Rachel Cohen and Aliza Raiz were killed by gunmen who opened fire on vehicles in the Palestinian village of Al-Funduq, according to The times of Israel.
The attack left another eight people injured – including a 63-year-old bus driver – and the Israeli army has launched a search for two suspected shooters affiliated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group, the Jerusalem Submit reported.
“My wife and I send our deepest condolences to the families of the three people killed in this morning’s horrific attack and wish the injured a full recovery,” Netanyahu wrote in X. “We will reach out to the despicable killers and bring them to justice.” justice and everyone.” those who helped them, no one will be saved.”
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A witness who spoke with The Israel Press Service He described the attack as a “shootout.”
“I saw a Palestinian… pull an M16 out of his rear window and point it at vehicles and then I realized it was an attack,” he said. “And I saw the vehicles spinning around and all this chaos and then I realized they were coming at me in a second and I was next in line, so I started shooting at them.”
“I am a civilian and I have my own private weapon. “If they had given me an M16, I think their situation would have been different,” the witness added.
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A paramedic from Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency medical service told Jerusalem Post that the attack “took place in multiple scenes in which vehicles and a bus were hit by gunfire.”
“During our initial searches for victims, we found two women… in a vehicle, unconscious, without a pulse or breathing, with gunshot wounds,” Avichai Ben Zuria said. “About 150 meters away was an unconscious driver who also suffered gunshot wounds. Unfortunately, after medical evaluations, his injuries were serious and we had to declare him deceased.”
Winkelstein is described as being in his 40s, while Cohen, 73, is a school counselor and mother of five, according to the Jerusalem Submit. Raiz, who is 70 years old, is also a school counselor, the outlet added.
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The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas issued a statement praising the attack, The Related Press reported.