Palestinian Terrorists Kill At Least Four in West Bank Shooting

Latest Developments

Palestinian terrorists killed at least four people in a gun attack in the city of Eli in the West Bank on June 20. In addition to the fatalities, at least four people were wounded. The casualties’ identities were not immediately published. One of the terrorists escaped the scene, prompting a manhunt by Israeli forces, which eventually found and killed him. The terrorists belonged to the Iran-backed terrorist group Hamas.

Initial eyewitness reports said that two gunmen simultaneously struck a gas station and restaurant at the entrance to Eli, which is situated roughly halfway between the Palestinian cities of Ramallah and Nablus, and that one of them was shot dead by a first-responder. Israeli security forces could not immediately rule out the possibility that the second gunman, still at large, had infiltrated Eli.

Palestinian terrorist groups, encouraged by Iranian funding and arms-smuggling, have been stepping up attacks in the West Bank in a bid to outpace sweeps by the Israeli military and police.

Expert Analysis

“This outrage comes a day after Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists managed to blindside an Israeli commando force as it carried out arrests in Jenin. Then, the combination of IEDs and gun nests led to seven Israeli personnel being wounded in a crippled troop transport. Today, the toll is far worse. Israel will be considering an escalation of preemptive measures in the West Bank — and expecting its friends abroad to give it support.” — Mark Dubowitz, FDD CEO

“The West Bank has been in chaos for over two years with no tangible end in sight. Today’s shooting attack in Eli demonstrates that despite daily Israeli military operations in the West Bank, terrorism remains a significant security challenge for the Israeli defense establishment.” — Joe Truzman, Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

Related Analysis

“Israel Deploys Helicopter to West Bank Clash,” FDD Flash Brief

“Iran-Backed West Bank Chaos,” by Joe Truzman

“Iran’s Multifront Strategy Against Israel,” by Jonathan Schanzer