JERUSALEM, June 7 (Reuters) – A 35‑year‑old man was killed and five others injured on Sunday in central Israel, near the occupied West Bank, in what police classified as a suspected terrorist attack.
A police spokesperson reported that the suspected gunman, an Israeli Arab from the nearby city of Tayibe, was killed and a firearm was recovered from him. Israeli media indicated that a second suspect also died.
“Large police forces remain at the scene, and searches are continuing,” police said earlier, urging the public to stay vigilant. Local media identified the deceased 35‑year‑old man as an Israeli citizen.
ISRAELI SOLDIERS DEPLOYED
Israel’s ambulance service reported that the man died from gunshot wounds and characterized the incident as a drive‑by shooting, which left five others injured at three nearby sites, two of them seriously.
Police stated that they had located the suspected vehicle.
The shootings occurred near the Palestinian West Bank city of Qalqilya. Hamas praised the attack but did not claim responsibility.
Israeli soldiers were deployed to one of the sites in central Israel and to an adjacent settlement in the West Bank following the shootings, the military reported.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was briefed, his office said in a statement.
“Hardline Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for a \”profound change\” in Israel’s Arab community, describing it as a \”dangerous and extremist breeding ground for terrorism\” that seeks to destroy the State of Israel.”
(Reporting by Steven Scheer and Alexander Cornwell. Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Mark Potter)
