Terrorists engaged in a shooting spree in the West Bank Thursday, killing three Israeli civilians. The attack was suspected to be carried out by the Hamas terrorist group and appears to be part of a breakdown of the ceasefire between Israel and the organization that rules the nearby Gaza Strip.
The attack allegedly included two Hamas shooters, who opened fire at a bus station near Jerusalem.
The shooting killed three Israelis and injured 11 more. Israeli soldiers shot and killed the gunman.
A horrific morning here in Israel with a shooting attack in Jerusalem in which 3 Israelis were murdered, including a 24 year old woman and two elderly victims.
Both heavily armed terrorists were neutralized.
May the memory of the victims be a blessing. pic.twitter.com/VGYP0nSS9V
— Israel ישראל 🇮🇱 (@Israel) November 30, 2023
Israeli law enforcement stated that the “terrorists arrived to the scene by car in the morning, armed with an M-16 rifle and a handgun.”
The attack was condemned by the United States. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew wrote that the shooting was “abhorrent” on social media. Lew added that Washington condemned the “brutal violence.”
Separately, there was an attempted vehicle attack in another part of the West Bank, but Israeli soldiers shot and killed the suspect. Two soldiers were lightly injured in the attack.
The fragile ceasefire between Israel and the militant group entered into its final day, about one week after it began. Several dozen captives have been released, including two Israeli women released Thursday.
The father of one of the hostages told local media that he could not ask his daughter questions, “because I don’t know what she endured.”
Separately, other hostages indicated that Hamas had beaten some of the captives with electrical wires. At least one captive died in Hamas captivity.
Despite the release of some of the hostages, Israel estimates that Hamas still holds more than 150 innocent people captive.
The ceasefire allowed for humanitarian goods to enter the Palestinian territory almost two months after the start of the conflict, sparked by a Hamas terrorist attack that killed more than 1,200 people.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Israel this week and stated that the ceasefire was “producing results.”
There are efforts to extend the truce by several more days, but the recent shooting may cast such an option in doubt.
