Woman shot dead, two people wounded in suspected Ashdod gangland hit
Purported criminal figure wounded in attack, as was a female relative — reportedly an IDF soldier — who tried to fire back at the gunman before he escaped

A 40-year-old woman was shot dead in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod on Sunday, and a man and a younger woman were injured in what police are investigating as a gangland-linked shooting.
The wounded man, 38, is reportedly a known criminal figure and was said to be the target of the shooting. He was moderately injured while another woman, 20, was lightly injured.
The shooting took place on Jo Amar Street in the southern coastal city.
Israel Police said in a statement that the gunman was wearing military-style clothing and the pistol he used was retrieved from the scene in an apartment in a residential building.
The younger woman, said to be a relative of the injured man, is reportedly an active-duty soldier in the IDF. She opened fire at the gunman with her service rifle but did not manage to hit the shooter, according to the Kan public broadcaster. The suspect then shot her as well.
Eyewitness Adi Kuchman, who lives in the building, told Kan that the area where the shooting happened was “covered with bullets and blood stains.”
He said he saw the two injured women lying on the floor, with the younger woman next to an M-16 rifle: “Apparently, she tried to shoot the gunman who was firing at them,” he said.
There was also a small pistol on the floor, he said.
All three injured people were taken to the city’s Assuta Medical Center for treatment, where the woman in critical condition was declared dead.
“When we arrived at the scene, we saw the woman lying unconscious, not breathing and without a pulse,” said a Magen David Adom paramedic. “We immediately began performing CPR while taking her to the hospital.”
Police said they are searching for the suspected shooter and are treating the incident as “criminal” in nature, and not suspected terror activity. A police helicopter was participating in the search for the suspect.
Hebrew media reports said the injured man is a known criminal figure who recently relocated to Ashdod from Ramle. Channel 12 reported the man had previously been indicted for murder.
The shooting comes amid a wave of violent incidents tied to feuds between organized crime groups around the country.