Northern kibbutz targeted by gunshots apparently from West Bank for 2nd time in weeks

Shots were fired late Monday night at a kibbutz in northern Israel, two weeks after a nearby town was targeted in a similar shooting attack claimed by Palestinian terrorists.

A message from the local regional council sent to residents of Meirav said Monday’s gunfire appeared to have come from the Palestinian village of Jalbun, on the West Bank side of the green line.

The message also said there were no special instructions and that residents could continue with their routines.

One home in the community was struck, with a picture on social media showing a bullet hole in a wall. No injuries were reported.

The Israel Defense Forces said troops were searching for suspects in the area.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the gunfire, which the military called a shooting attack.

ראשוני: ירי בוצע מאזור ג'לבון ליישוב מירב, במועצה האזורית עמק המעיינות שבגלבוע. זוהתה פגיעה בבית, מעל חלון של חדר ילדים. דובר צה"ל: הפרטים בבדיקה @Now14Israel pic.twitter.com/KEE3PHlI0e

— אדיר לחקים Adir Lehakim (@AdirLM1) April 17, 2023

Earlier this month, several homes in nearby Kibbutz Ma’ale Gilboa were damaged by bullets. An offshoot of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, which took responsibility for the attack, claimed at the time the targeted homes were in Meirav.

While shooting attacks targeting Israelis take place periodically, they more frequently take place inside the Green Line, and the targeting of Israeli civilians inside Israel proper is less common.