Three Palestinian terrorists embarked on a shooting spree Thursday that killed one Israeli and wounded 11 others near a checkpoint, according to Israeli police and medics, The Times of Israel reported.
Israeli security forces and armed citizens killed two of the terrorists were killed during the attack, while the third culprit — who managed to flee the area — was later “neutralized” by police, law enforcement officials told the outlet. (RELATED: Video Appears To Show Knife-Wielding Teenager Trying To Stab Israeli Border Police)
Five victims were evacuated from the scene, Israel’s national emergency service Magen David Adom (“Red Star of David”) tweeted. Three — two women, aged 23 and 30, and a 23-year-old man — were in “serious condition,” while two 40-year-old men were in “moderate and mild condition.”
MDA Spokesperson: Update to the shooting terror attack on Route 1. MDA EMTs and Paramedics are treating and evacuating 5 casualties with gunshot injuries. Females aged 23, 30 and male aged 23 in serious condition and conscious, a 2 males aged 40 in moderate and mild condition
— Magen David Adom (@Mdais) February 22, 2024
The lone fatality was 26-year-old Matan Elmaliah, according to a tweet from Emanuel Fabian, a Times of Israel military correspondent.
The victim of the terror shooting attack near Ma’ale Adumim earlier today is identified as Matan Elmaliah, 26. pic.twitter.com/euFzGZjgB4
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) February 22, 2024
One of the victims was a pregnant woman underwent “significant surgery” and is now in stable condition, according to Dr. Alon Schwartz, head of the trauma department at Shaare Zedek Medical Center, The Times of Israel reported.
Hananya Ben Shimon, an Israeli reservist who had just returned from fighting in the Gaza Strip, managed to kill one of the terrorists with a pistol after being wounded himself, the outlet noted. “Hananya is an honest person and he told us that he is not a hero, but rather the hero is another guy who fought the terrorists and got hit in his hand. But security personnel told us that Hananya saved a lot of people today,” Arik, Hananya’s father, said, according to the outlet.
The three attackers were heavily armed, equipped “with assault rifles, makeshift sub-machine guns, and a grenade,” and all three came from “the Bethlehem area,” Fabian tweeted alongside photos of the weapons used by the terrorists.
Police say the three Palestinian terrorists who carried out the deadly shooting attack near the az-Za’ayyem checkpoint, between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim, were armed with assault rifles, makeshift sub-machine guns, and a grenade.
The trio are identified by police as residents… https://t.co/lRnyo1Eqnw pic.twitter.com/sXz0AegtUn
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) February 22, 2024
One of the terrorists “was previously jailed for entering Israel illegally” according to the Israel Security Agency (or “Shin Bet”), Fabian noted in a tweet.
The military correspondent later tweeted out an apparent video of the incident he said Israeli police released. According to him, it shows “an officer shooting one of the gunmen dead.”
Police release footage from this morning’s shooting attack near Ma’ale Admum, showing an officer shooting one of the gunmen dead. pic.twitter.com/cEXG4SbD1w
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) February 22, 2024
The video appeared to show a man pointing his gun away from the camera and firing. Shots could he heard, after which he took off running. At least two people could then be seen running in the distance as more shots were fired. The video blurred out the man who was shot.