Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Monday to capture the “despicable murderers” behind a recent terror attack in the West Bank that resulted in the deaths of three Israelis, including a police officer.
Off-duty Master Sgt. Elad Yaakov Winkelstein and sisters-in-law Rachel Cohen and Aliza Raiz were murdered when gunmen opened fire on vehicles in the Palestinian village of Al-Funduq, as reported by The Times of Israel.
The attack left eight others injured, including a 63-year-old bus driver. Following the shooting, the Israeli military initiated a manhunt for two suspected shooters linked to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group, according to the Jerusalem Post.
Netanyahu expressed his condolences on X, stating, “My wife and I send our deepest condolences to the families of the three people murdered in this morning’s horrific attack and wish the injured a full recovery. We will reach the despicable murderers and bring them to justice and everyone who helped them. No one will be spared.”
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An eyewitness recounted the horror of the attack to The Press Service of Israel, describing it as a “shooting spree.” He stated, “I saw a Palestinian take out an M16 from his back window and aim it at vehicles. I realized it was an attack and saw the vehicles turning around in chaos. I began shooting at them to protect myself.”
The eyewitness added, “I am a civilian with my own private gun. If they had given me an M16, their situation would have been different.”
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A paramedic from Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency medical service informed the Jerusalem Post that the attack occurred across multiple scenes where vehicles and a bus were struck by gunfire.
During initial searches for casualties, they discovered two women in a vehicle, unconscious and without a pulse, suffering from gunshot wounds. Additionally, an unconscious driver was found nearby with similar injuries. After medical assessments, they were unfortunately pronounced deceased.
Winkelstein was in his 40s, Cohen, 73, was a school counselor and mother of five, while Raiz, 70, also served as a school counselor, reported the Jerusalem Post.
The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas issued a statement praising the attack, as noted by The Associated Press.
