IDF: Terrorist who fired on vehicles in West Bank last week turns self in
Attack was third by PA security forces officer within a month; left-wing group defending Palestinians from settler violence vows to continue work after 2 activists hurt in shooting
A gunman who carried out a terror shooting attack in the West Bank last week, wounding three Israelis, turned himself in to troops, the Israel Defense Forces said Sunday.
The suspect, 27-year-old Abu Rida al-Saadi, a member of the Palestinian Authority security forces, gave himself up to troops who were searching for him in the Jericho area, the IDF said.
The weapon used in the attack in the Jordan Valley town of al-Auja was also seized, the IDF added.
It was the third time within a month that a terror attack was carried out by a member of the PA security forces, after a sniper attack near the settlement of Dolev and a shooting attack at a gas station near the settlement of Eli.
Three Israelis were wounded when the attacker opened fire toward school buses and cars in al-Auja on Route 90, the main north-south artery in the Jordan Valley on Thursday
An image from a dashcam video showed the gunman, who appeared to be dressed all in green, opening fire with an assault rifle.
Two bulletproof school buses and at least two cars were hit in the shooting.
המחבל מהפיגוע בבקעת הירדן ביום חמישי האחרון נתפס לפני זמן קצר בעוג׳ה – הכפר שבו ירה ופצע 3 ישראלים.
לפי פרטים ראשוניים, המחבל הסגיר את עצמו לכח צה״ל שפעל בעוג׳ה במסגרת המצוד אחריו.
המחבל הוא קצין בביטחון הלאומי הפלסטיני – אחד ממנגנוני הביטחון של הרשות הפלסטינית pic.twitter.com/e5JS22qjNS— Carmel Dangor כרמל דנגור (@carmeldangor) March 31, 2024
Two of those injured in the attack were activists from the left-wing Looking the Occupation in the Eyes group, who had traveled to the West Bank to “defend Palestinians from settler violence.”
The group said the only way to combat violence was with nonviolence, and vowed “the activists will continue to come to the territory to accompany shepherds and to stand guard protecting communities suffering from oppression and violence.”
Security forces in Jerusalem and the West Bank have been on high alert since the start of Ramadan earlier this month. Tensions were already high between Israelis and Palestinians due to the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, triggered by the October 7 massacre in which Hamas terrorists killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped 253.
Since October 7, the IDF has said, troops arrested some 3,600 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 1,600 affiliated with Hamas.
