At least four Israeli settlers lost their lives and four others sustained injuries in a shooting perpetrated by two Palestinian gunmen near the illegal settlement of Eli in the occupied West Bank.
One of the assailants was shot dead at the scene, while the second suspect managed to flee in a taxi. However, Israeli forces apprehended and killed the second suspect near Nablus.
Al Jazeera correspondent Imran Khan, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem, confirmed the attack and provided further details.
The suspects initially opened fire at a gas station located near the entrance of the Eli settlement, situated between Ramallah and Nablus. Following this, they targeted a restaurant before focusing their gunfire on the petrol station.
Khan reported that one of the attackers seized a running vehicle and fled the area.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urgently called for a security consultation in response to the attack. His far-right allies have been advocating for a large-scale operation in the West Bank. The shooting occurred a day after a significant Israeli military incursion in Jenin refugee camp, where six Palestinians lost their lives.
The raid lasted nine hours and resulted in at least 91 people sustaining injuries.
As a result of the incident, Israeli forces have closed off entrances to Nablus. Hazem Qassem, a spokesperson for Hamas, which governs the besieged Gaza Strip, characterized the shooting as a "response to the crimes of the [Israeli] occupation" in Jenin and other areas. T
he Palestinian Islamic Jihad also praised the attack, considering it a natural reaction to escalating Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people.
