IDF confirms that Hamas member killed on Saturday in West Bank was behind deadly terror shooting

The IDF says it has confirmed that a Palestinian suspect killed by troops in the West Bank town of Bruqin on Saturday carried out last week’s deadly terror shooting in the area.

In the attack on May 14, near Bruqin and the settlement of Bruchin, a Palestinian terrorist opened fire from the side of a road on Israeli motorists, killing Tzeela Gez, 30, and wounding her husband. Gez had been heading to a hospital to give birth.

As troops were searching the area on Saturday, a suspect with a backpack ran toward them while shouting “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest). He was then shot dead.

Following an investigation led by the Shin Bet, police, and IDF, it was revealed that the suspect, Naael Samarah, carried out the shooting attack, a joint statement says.

Samarah, a member of Hamas, was previously jailed for his activity in the terror group. He was released in 2010 and jailed again for several days in 2019 for online incitement, according to the military.

The IDF says that in his backpack, troops found an assault rifle and other equipment used to carry out the terror attack.

Several additional Palestinians suspected of involvement in the attack have been arrested, including one accused of being the head of a terror cell that Samarah was part of.

The cell, according to the IDF, carried out three other shooting attacks in the area in recent months, including one near Ariel on March 12, in which an Israeli civilian was moderately wounded.