US citizen, Palestinian among dead in attack, bringing day’s toll to 5 — the highest in a single day in latest terror wave
Three people were killed and four others injured Thursday afternoon in a shooting near the West Bank settlement of Alon Shvut in the Etzion Bloc, the second terrorist attack to hit Israel in a day.
A Jewish American youth and a Palestinian man were declared dead at the scene by Magen David Adom paramedics. An Israeli man in his fifties died in Jerusalem at Hadassah Hospital in Ein Kerem after being evacuated from the scene with injuries to the upper torso and neck.
The police and army confirmed the assailant opened fire with an Uzi submachine gun from inside a vehicle at Israeli vehicles, hitting several people. When he ran out of ammunition, the attacker drove in the direction of the nearby Gush Etzion Junction before ramming the vehicle into a car.
Security personnel shot back at the suspect, disarmed him and arrested him.
The Israeli man killed was identified as Yaakov Don, 51, from Alon Shvut. The US youth was named as Ezra Schwartz, 18, of Sharon, Massachusetts.
The wounded individuals, who were only lightly hurt, were Americans studying at a yeshiva in nearby Beit Shemesh. Magen David Adom said they were evacuated to the Shaare Zedek Medical center in Jerusalem.
Palestinian media identified the shooter as 24-year-old Mohammed Abdel Basset al-Kharoub, from the West Bank village of Dir Smat near Hebron.
Earlier Thursday two Israelis were killed and at least two others wounded in a stabbing attack in southern Tel Aviv. The death toll from Palestinian attacks — 5 — was the highest for a single day in the latest wave of unrest, which broke out some two months ago.
The Tel Aviv attack took place in the Panorama office building at the entrance to a room used for prayer services, next to the parking lot, as afternoon prayers were taking place, according to reports from the scene.
One victim was declared dead at the scene and a second died after being rushed to a hospital with serious injuries.
Two more people suffered light and moderate injuries, according to officials.
The attacker was caught by passersby and arrested by police at the scene. He was taken to a hospital with light injuries. Police identified him as a 36-year-old Palestinian father of five from the West Bank village of Dura, near Hebron. He possessed a permit to work in Israel.
As reported by The Times of Israel