Two Shin Bet officers hurt, one seriously, in West Bank shooting; attacker shot
Assailant opens fire at pair carrying out routine operations near Gush Etzion junction
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Two members of the Shin Bet were wounded, one of them seriously, in a shooting attack in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc in the southern West Bank on Tuesday, the security agency and the military said.
The attack took place between the settlement of Migdal Oz and the Gush Etzion Junction.
The Shin Bet said the gunman opened fire at the two officers, who were carrying out routine security operations in the area.
The pair returned fire at the gunman, “neutralizing” him, the Shin Bet and Israel Defense Forces said. They were taken to a hospital in Jerusalem for treatment.
The gunman was identified by the Shin Bet as Ziad Hamran, 30, from the northern West Bank city of Jenin.
Security officials denied initial reports by Hebrew-language media claiming the two security officers were meeting the gunman as part of their work, when he surprised them and opened fire.
One of the officers was listed in serious but stable condition, while the second was lightly hurt, Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem said.
The shooting came as security forces in Jerusalem and the West Bank have been on high alert since Ramadan started last week. Tensions were already high between Israelis and Palestinians due to the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, triggered by the October 7 massacre, which saw Hamas terrorists murder about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnap 253.
Palestinians say over 400 people have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank since hostilities broke out, most while carrying out attacks or during clashes with IDF troops during nightly raids that have largely concentrated on a handful of areas in the northern West Bank. However, killings of innocent bystanders have also been alleged.
