An Israeli man was injured in a suspected terror attack in the West Bank town of Huwara on Sunday (March 19), as per local media reports. The Israeli ambulance service Magen David Adom said a man in his 30s was seriously wounded in the shooting attack. This comes as the Israeli and Palestinian officials met in Egypt for talks, on Sunday, to prevent the surging violence from further escalating during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which begins next week.
Suspected terror attack in Huwara
According to Magen David Adom, the two people found at the scene were a man and a woman in their 30s. The woman, later identified as his wife, was taken to a hospital for treatment of traumatic shock, while the man was in critical condition.
“We met up with the vehicle at the Einebus junction along with IDF medical personnel. We provided medical treatment to a man in his 30s who was seriously injured by a gunshot to his upper body and to a woman who fainted from anxiety,” said senior Magen David Adom medic, Moshe Meir Shimon, who was also present at the scene of the incident, reported the Jerusalem Post.
“We quickly transferred them to ambulances and evacuated them to the hospital, as the man was in serious condition,” Shimon added. The identity of the victims has not been revealed. Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it received a report of a “shooting incident” in Huwara and that it has launched a manhunt for the suspected terrorist, as per local media reports.
According to initial reports on the incident, at least 20 bullets were fired at the car. The Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikvah, which is treating the victim said that he was sedated and on a ventilator with gunshot wounds to his head and shoulder but is since in a stable condition, reported the Times of Israel.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to Twitter and said he was praying for the “wounded hero” who succeeded in shooting the terrorist attacker supposedly confirming some media reports which said that the man who was shot managed to shoot back at the terrorist and injured him.
Israeli and Palestinian officials meeting in Egypt
On Sunday, the officials from the two countries met in the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. In a statement, Egypt’s foreign ministry said that the meeting “aims to support dialogue between the Palestinian and Israeli sides to work to stop unilateral actions and escalation, and break the existing cycle of violence and achieve calm”, reported Reuters.
It added, that a reduction in violence could create a climate for the “resumption of the peace process”. The move has also been backed by the United States and Jordan. The meeting comes weeks after talks in the Jordanian coastal city of Aqaba brokered by the US has seemingly failed to stop the violence despite the two sides vowing to de-escalate.
Recently, the Israeli-occupied West Bank has witnessed a surge in violence with increased military raids by the Israeli army and a settler rampage in the area last month amid a rise in attacks by Palestinians. There have been some clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians particularly near the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem around Ramadan which also coincides with the Jewish holiday, Passover and Christian Easter.
(With inputs from agencies)
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.
