1 Israeli Killed, 3 Injured in West Bank Terror Attack

Latest Developments

Gush Etzion Attack: At least one person was killed and three others injured on November 18 when two Palestinian terrorists carried out a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack at the Gush Etzion junction in the West Bank. The terrorists were identified as Imran al-Atrash from Hebron and Walid Muhammad Khalil Sabarneh from Beit Ummar. According to witnesses, the terrorists arrived at the junction and rammed their vehicle into a nearby crowd before exiting and attempting to stab those nearby.
Explosive Materials Found in Car: After nearby IDF reservists killed the two terrorists, explosive materials were found in their vehicle that were then neutralized by bomb disposal teams. The wounded victims were evacuated to both Shaare Zedek Medical Center and Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem for treatment.
Palestinian Terrorist Groups Praise Attack: Both Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Hamas lauded the attack, with PIJ congratulating the two terrorists responsible in an online post while calling on Palestinians to escalate attacks against Israelis. Hamas labeled the attack “a natural response to Israel’s attempts to eliminate the Palestinian cause,” calling it “an inevitable outcome” of Israel’s “persistence in its aggression against our people, our land, and our holy sites.” Neither group formally claimed responsibility for the attack itself.

FDD Expert Response

“The attack at the Gush Etzion Junction underscores troubling signs that terrorism is resurging in the West Bank after a period of relative calm. Hamas and other Palestinian armed factions will seize the opportunity, using the incident to incite further violence and stretch Israeli security resources. Their broader objective is clear: keep Israel preoccupied in the West Bank while armed groups work to rebuild their military infrastructure in Gaza.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

“Small, lone-wolf attacks like the one carried out today near Gush Etzion continue to pose a significant challenge to the Israeli security apparatus. At the same time, considerable weaponry is being smuggled to West Bank terrorist organizations, which are even developing crude projectiles in attempts to develop rocket-launching capabilities. These groups have likely identified the region as a new focal point from which to stage terror attacks, aiming to force the IDF to confront a growing threat much closer to Israel’s doorstep.” — Aaron Goren, Research Analyst and Editor