MDA armoured ambulance > Tewfik, CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
The IDF locked down the area surrounding the West Bank town of Huwara on Sunday evening, following a Palestinian terrorist attack.
An Israeli couple were injured in the shooting exactly three weeks after two Israelis were killed in a similar gun attack in the town.
American-born Michael Stern was taken to hospital in Petah Tikvah in moderate to serious condition, while his wife was reportedly lightly injured too.
The terrorist, who was later located by Israeli forces, has been identified as Laith Nadim Nassar, a resident of the village of Madama, southwest of Nablus, according to Palestinian media.
Initial reports suggest that about 20 bullets were fired at the Sterns’ car.
The IDF reinforced forces in the area following the attack amid concerns that local Israeli settlers might attack Palestinians and their homes, as took place in late February.
The attack was welcomed by Hamas, with a spokesperson claiming that “the resistance in the West Bank is getting stronger […] and no security meeting […] can stop it”, a reference to recent Israeli-Palestinian cooperation meetings in Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh.
Palestinians throughout the West Bank reportedly also celebrated the attack, including cheering and handing out sweets, according to the Jerusalem Post.
The attack was followed on Monday by the news that a victim of a terror attack in Tel Aviv 11 days ago has died. Or Eshkar, 32, was shot by a gunman who opened fire outside a cafe.