Terror Attack in West Bank Leaves 1 Dead, 11 Injured

​Three terrorists opened fire on Israelis sitting in traffic on Thursday morning, killing one and injuring 11 others, including a pregnant woman.

An IDF soldier who was recently released for reserve duty was one of those shot multiple times, but mustered enough strength to kill two of the terrorists, while a third was later “neutralized.”

The murdered Israeli was named as Matan Elmaliah, 26, from Ma’ale Adumim.

​The attack occurred near at a checkpoint on Highway 1, the road connecting the Ma’ale Adumim settlements to Jerusalem. Police have said the three attackers were brothers Muhammad and Kathem Zawahra from Ta’amra and Ahmed Al-Wahsh from Za’atara. The man they killed was reported by Magen David Adom to be a man in his 20s.

​Hanania ben Shimon was the fighter who took down the terrorists.

His father, Eric, speaking at the scene of the attack told the media “He was released a week and a half ago from Khan Younis, after serving in the Gaza Strip in the reserves for four months. When the terrorist stopped the vehicle on his left side, and started shooting, he fired the first bullet at him through the window, then he got out, rowed into contact, killed the terrorist and was wounded as well.”

A friend added “He is a hero. He is the beautiful of the Land of Israel. He returned last week from fighting in Khan Younis after three months in Gaza, got a gun license to save lives and started working as a travel security guard… When he was in Khan Younis, he told me how united the people of Israel are and how willing he is to risk himself for the country and for the citizens. Today these words take on a new meaning.”

The attack occured over an area of at least two kilometers, according to ​the director of the Jerusalem sector of Magen David Adom, Aviv Hovav.  “[This] made it difficult for us to reach the victims,” he added. “The forces searched the scene, we passed by vehicles and began to evacuate and treat the victims. Due to the traffic jams, we had to evacuate some of the injured through the opposite land.” All of the wounded were transported to Jerusalem’s Shaare Tzedek Hospital.

​One of the injured was a pregnant women who was in need of immediate surgery. Director of the Trauma Unit at the hospital, Dr. Alon Shortz, said “She arrived conscious and her life is not in danger… Regarding the fetus, it is too early to say. The condition is normal, but it’s hard to say what the condition will be.”

​The checkpoint where the attack occurred has been pointed out by local Israeli lawmakers living in the area as a “death trap” in the waiting due to its heavy congestion and the fact that both Israelis and Palestinians traverse the road.

As was the case in Thursday’s attack, cars were unable to flee due to the traffic jam, allowing the terrorists to maximize their damage.

“We are in an emergency situation,” said Ma’ale Adumim Deputy Mayor Guy Yafarah. “The joint ride with the Palestinians on Route 1 is a ticking time bomb. The Israeli government must find an immediate solution and stop the shared travel of the residents of Ma’ale Adumim and the area with Palestinian vehicles. I demand the construction of the road…immediately.”

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