Israeli injured in suspected terror shooting at settlement of Carmel

Troops launch manhunt for gunman, who flees the area after opening fire at southern West Bank town; 18-year-old moderately hurt

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

Security forces are seen in the southern West Bank settlement of Carmel, following a shooting attack, September 15, 2022. (Screenshot: Twitter)
Security forces are seen in the southern West Bank settlement of Carmel, following a shooting attack, September 15, 2022. (Screenshot: Twitter)

An Israeli man was shot and moderately hurt in a suspected terror attack in the southern West Bank settlement of Carmel on Thursday night, the military and medics said.

The incident came as an infiltration siren sounded in the area, and the military’s Home Front Command instructed residents to remain in their homes and lock their doors and windows. The restrictions were lifted several hours later.

The Magen David Adom ambulance service said its medics treated an 18-year-old man who was moderately hurt by gunfire, and took him to Beersheba’s Soroka hospital.

The Rescuers Without Borders emergency service said it also received a report by a car that had come under fire just outside the town as well, possibly by the same attacker.

The gunman fled the scene. There were no indications that the gunman actually managed to enter the settlement during the attack, but rather that he shot at it from outside.

The Israel Defense Forces said it had dispatched dozens of troops to the scene and launched a manhunt for the gunman and other possible suspects.

Israeli officers are seen at the scene of a shooting attack, in the southern West Bank settlement of Carmel, September 15, 2022. (Israel Defense Forces)

A video posted to social media showed several people running in the town as the siren rang out.

A picture from the scene showed a shattered window at a yeshiva in the settlement.

A shattered window at a yeshiva in the southern West Bank settlement of Carmel is seen following a shooting attack, September 15, 2022. (Courtesy)

The shooting came at a time of rising violence in the West Bank.

On Monday, a settler from the nearby settlement of Ma’on was seriously hurt in a brawl with Palestinians. Footage published Wednesday appeared to show that the clash was sparked by two settlers and was not a premeditated Palestinian assault on Israelis.

Early Wednesday morning, an Israeli officer was killed in a gun battle with two Palestinians along the West Bank security barrier. The pair were also slain in the clash.

Israeli troops have repeatedly come under gunfire during nightly raids in the West Bank, during a months-long effort against Palestinian terrorists. The military launched the operation after a series of deadly attacks that killed 19 people between mid-March and the beginning of May.

More than 2,000 suspects have been detained since the beginning of the year, according to the Shin Bet security agency.

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