Israeli security forces officers are investigating near the body of a victim after a shooting incident in the settlement of Eli, located between Nablus and Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. This incident occurred on Tuesday and was captured in a photo by Atef Safadi/EPA-EFE.
June 20 (UPI) — Several Palestinian attackers opened fire at a gas station near the large Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, resulting in the death of four civilians and multiple injuries. This attack is part of the recent increase in violence between Israelis and Palestinians.
The Israeli military released a statement stating that two Palestinian attackers opened fire near a gas station by the settlement of Eli in the Binyamin region of the West Bank. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel has identified one of the deceased victims as a high school student.
One of the attackers was stopped by an armed civilian at the scene, while the other fled in a Toyota and was later shot and killed by Israeli Defense Forces soldiers. Before his arrest, the suspect’s car was found with a suspected weapon used in the attack.
The IDF reported that the suspect was killed during an attempted arrest.
“The fight against terrorism is an ongoing battle,” said IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari.
Brig. Gen. Hagari tweeted later that additional battalions would be deployed to reinforce the Judea and Samaria Division, which covers the West Bank.
“The forces will be reinforced starting tonight, in addition to the recent reinforcement of forces in the sector,” he stated.
In a video statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack as “shocking and abhorrent.” He also issued a warning to potential attackers, stating that Israel settles accounts without exception.
“I would like to remind those who seek to harm us that all options are on the table,” he said. “We will continue to fight terrorism with full force and we will defeat it.”
This attack occurred a day after the IDF killed at least five Palestinians, including a child, during a military raid in the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank.
Since 1967, Israel has claimed ownership of the West Bank, although its occupation is deemed illegal by the international community, including the United Nations.
According to the United Nations, Israeli forces have killed at least 110 Palestinians this year. The Israeli military states that 25 Israelis have been killed by Palestinian terrorists during the same period.
The United States condemned the Eli shooting and expressed concerns about the escalating violence between the two sides.
“We will continue to work with Israel and the Palestinian Authority to promote de-escalation,” stated State Department spokesman Matthew Miller in a statement.
Tor Wennesland, the U.N. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, also expressed concern about the ongoing cycle of violence.
“I urge all sides to refrain from actions that could further inflame an already volatile situation,” he tweeted.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority continues to call for intervention from the United States.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates // calls for urgent American intervention to prevent the explosion that extremists are preparing for,” they tweeted on Tuesday.
