Two women in their 70s and a man in his 40s were killed, and eight others were wounded in a shooting terror attack near Kedumim in the West Bank, Israel’s emergency medical response service, Magen David Adom (MDA) said on Monday.
The man and women were later identified as Elad Yaakov Winkelstein, Rachel Cohen, and Aliza Reiss.
Winkelstein was an Israel Police Staff -Sergeant Major. Cohen, 73, was a school counselor and the mother of five daughters. Reiss, 70, was also a school counselor and is survived by her children and family.
MDA added that its paramedics were providing treatment to the 63-year-old bus driver who sustained serious wounds, a woman in her 60s in moderate condition, and six people who suffered from light wounds. They were subsequently transferred to the Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus in Petah Tikva and the Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba.
The IDF confirmed that the terrorists were affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and originated from Jenin.
Manhunt for terrorists ensues
The IDF said that terrorists had opened fire at a bus and vehicles in the area. Security forces were searching for the terrorists, setting up roadblocks in the area and encircling nearby towns.
After a security assessment of the situation in the West Bank on Monday evening, Netanyahu approved additional offensive and defensive measures in the area.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi arrived at the scene of the terror attack on Monday evening.
“This is a severe attack. Two [female] civilians and a police officer were killed. I extend my deepest condolences to the families,” Halevi said.
“We are engaged in intense and wide-ranging battle against terrorism in the West Bank. We will intensify and continue this combat,” he continued. “For the terrorists who carried out this attack, the clock is ticking. We will find out who perpetrated this attack and reach them. We will act swiftly to bypass the town on this route and make the route safer.”
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MDA paramedic Avichai Ben Zuria noted, “”This was a severe attack that spread across multiple scenes where vehicles and a bus were hit by gunfire.
He recounted what he saw upon arrival at the scene. “During our initial searches for casualties, we found 2 women around 60 years old in a vehicle, unconscious without pulse or breathing, with gunshot wounds. About 150 meters away, there was an unconscious driver who also suffered gunshot wounds. After medical assessments, unfortunately, their injuries were severe, and we had to pronounce them deceased.”
ZAKA chief of operations, Chaim Weingarten, said ZAKA teams in the area were “on their way to the scene to treat the deceased with respect and handle the difficult findings.”
‘No one will go unpunished’
Following the attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent his condolences to he families of the victim in a post on X/Twitter. He added, “We will reach the despicable murderers and settle accounts with them and with anyone who assisted them. No one will go unpunished.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote in a post on X that he had instructed the IDF to “act forcefully in every location” that can lead to the terrorists. He further stated that Israel would “not tolerate a Gaza-like reality in the West Bank.
This is a developing story.
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