Seven Wounded, One Seriously, in Shooting Attack Near West Bank Settlement

Seven people were wounded in a drive-by shooting attack near the settlement of Ofra in the West Bank on Sunday evening. Security forces have launched a manhunt for the assailant.

One of those wounded is a 21-year-old pregnant woman who is in serious condition after sustaining wounds to her upper body. She has been evacuated to the Hadassah University Hospital in Ein Karem, Jerusalem. Doctors delivered the baby, who is premature, but in stable condition.

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– Ofra

The rest of the victims were also evacuated to various hospitals, including a 21-year-old man who sustained moderate wounds to his lower limbs and a 22-year-old man was also moderately wounded. The other victims are two 16-year-old girls and two 16-year-old boys, all of whom sustained light wounds.


The scene of the terrorist attack, in the West Bank, on Sunday, December 9, 2018.Magen David Adom

According to people in the settlement, the 21-year-old woman was waiting for a ride together with her husband, who was also wounded. The two live in the area, but not in Ofra. 

The Israel Defense Forces said the shooting was conducted from a moving vehicle and targeted civilians trying to catch a ride from the nearby junction. According to rescue services, the shooting targeted a group of six people located near the entrance to the settlement. 

An IDF force stationed nearby shot toward the vehicle before the driver fled the scene. Footage from the scene shows a white vehicle slowing down near the hitchiking stop and stopping briefly. After shots are fired from the vehicle, IDF soldiers shoot at the car, which then continues north on Route 60. 

The IDF said it is searching for the shooter in the nearby village of Silwad and has erected checkpoints. Palestinians reported that large military forces entered Silwad, which is east of Ramallah, and have raided a house.

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Meanwhile, the military’s spokesperson said a suspect was arrested in the shooting attack that took place at the Gilboa checkpoint in November. According to the IDF, the suspect and another person suspected of assisting him, have been transferred to the Shin Bet for further investigation.

In October, two Israelis were killed and a third was wounded in a West Bank shooting attack in the Barkan industrial area. The IDF is still searching for the shooter, 23-year-old Ashraf Walid Saliman Na’alwa.


Site of the shooting near West Bank settlement of Ofra, December 9, 2018. AMMAR AWAD/Reuters


The scene of a shooting near Ofra, West Bank, December 9, 2018.