Shootings in Israel, near occupied West Bank: Man killed, several injured

A 35-year-old man was killed and five others were injured in a series of shootings in central Israel near the occupied West Bank on Sunday, which police described as a suspected terrorist attack, Reuters reported.

A police spokesman said the suspected attacker, an Israeli Arab from the nearby Israeli town of Tayibe, was also killed and a firearm was found in his possession. Israeli media reported that a second suspect was also killed.

"A large police force remains at the scene and the search continues," police said in an earlier statement, urging citizens to be vigilant.

Local media identified the slain 35-year-old as an Israeli citizen.

Israeli soldiers deployed

The Israeli emergency services said the man died from gunshot wounds. The incident was described as a drive-by shooting, with five other people injured at three nearby locations, two of whom sustained serious injuries.

Police said they had found the vehicle suspected of being used in the attack.

The shootings took place near the Palestinian town of Qalqilya in the West Bank. The Palestinian militant group Hamas praised the attack but did not claim responsibility for it.

The Israeli military said soldiers were deployed to one of the attack sites in central Israel, as well as a nearby Israeli settlement in the West Bank.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he was aware of the situation.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, known for his hard-line views, called for "profound change" within the Arab community in Israel, stating that it represents "a dangerous and extremist breeding ground for terrorism that is growing and seeks to destroy the State of Israel."

Beta news agency reported that the Israeli rescue service "Magen David Adom" (MDA) announced that at least one person was killed and six were wounded in several shootings near the occupied West Bank.

The MDA said it received initial reports of a shooting at a gas station near the town of Kokav Yair, located on the Israeli side of the West Bank border, at around 10:30 a.m.

Several more reports of shootings were received shortly thereafter, including one inside the West Bank, on the other side of the border.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said Israeli forces opened fire over the weekend on a car in the West Bank that they said was speeding towards soldiers, killing a seven-month-old Palestinian boy and wounding his parents.

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