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At least eight individuals were injured, including three in serious condition, when a Hamas gunman opened fire on a civilian bus near the West Bank settlement of Ariel on Friday. The assailant was neutralized by Israeli security forces shortly after the attack began.
The Magen David Adom (MDA) ambulance service reported that four victims sustained gunshot wounds, with three in serious condition and one in moderate condition. An additional four individuals were lightly injured by shattered glass. Among the seriously wounded was the bus driver, identified as Hassan Elsachen.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that four of the wounded were soldiers, all of whom suffered light injuries.
Hamas Claims Responsibility
Hamas’s military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for the attack, identifying the assailant as 46-year-old Samir Muhammad Ahmad Hussein from the village of Einabus, near Nablus. According to Hamas, Hussein was an active member of the Brigades.
Preliminary investigations by the IDF suggested that Hussein had accomplices who likely provided him with the M-16 assault rifle and the vehicle used in the attack. However, a military source stated that a second attacker was ruled out after thorough scans of the area around the Gitai Avisar Junction, where the incident occurred.
Details of the Attack
The attack unfolded when Hussein drove from the Nablus area to the Gitai Avisar Junction via the Tapuah Junction, bypassing internal checkpoints. He parked approximately 150 meters from a bus stop and began firing at a civilian bus as he approached on foot.
IDF troops stationed nearby returned fire, killing the gunman shortly after the attack began. Bullet marks riddled the bus, bearing witness to the intensity of the assault.
Escalating Violence in the West Bank
The West Bank has experienced heightened tensions and violence since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led incursion into southern Israel. The Gaza-based terrorist organization killed over 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages, sparking Israel’s counterterrorism operations and movement restrictions in the West Bank.
Since then, the IDF has arrested approximately 5,250 Palestinians in the West Bank, including over 2,050 individuals affiliated with Hamas. According to the Palestinian Authority’s health ministry, 716 Palestinians have been killed during this period. The IDF asserts that most fatalities were gunmen, rioters, or attackers.
In Israel and the West Bank, 41 people have been killed in terrorist attacks since the October 7 assault. An additional six Israeli security personnel have lost their lives in clashes with operatives in the West Bank.
Regional and Strategic Context
The Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, reported on Wednesday that it intercepted an arms shipment from Iran intended for West Bank militants. Iran is a known benefactor of Hamas, providing financial and material support.
The attack near Ariel underscores the volatile security situation in the West Bank as Israeli forces continue to address mounting threats in the region.