Israeli Man Dies From Gunshot Wounds After West Bank Spring Attack

An Israeli man, approximately 30 years old, has died from injuries sustained in a shooting attack near the settlement of Neve Tzuf in the Benjamin region of the West Bank. The victim was shot while bathing in a spring close to the settlement by a gunman who fired from a passing vehicle. He was initially evacuated to the hospital in critical condition and later pronounced dead.

The vehicle used in the attack was a Mitsubishi with Palestinian license plates. Following the shooting, the assailant fled the scene on foot, triggering a large-scale manhunt by Israeli security forces, including the IDF's Benjamin Regional Brigade, the Duvdevan Unit, additional reinforcement companies, and the Israeli Police. During the pursuit, a tracker fired at the suspect, wounding him. The suspect was eventually apprehended inside a hospital in Ramallah.

MDA paramedic David Trachtenberg described arriving at the scene to find the victim with multiple gunshot wounds and unconscious. He detailed the intensive medical efforts to stabilize the patient during transport to the hospital, including administering life-saving treatment and blood products.

Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, called for increased security operations within Palestinian villages, including house-to-house searches to confiscate illegal weapons and dismantle terror infrastructure. He also urged the immediate reinstatement of security checkpoints on roads, emphasizing the need for Israel to shift from defense to offense to restore deterrence.

Israel Gantz, head of the Benjamin Regional Council, who was at the scene, condemned the attack, noting that residents were at the spring for pre-Yom Kippur immersion when the assailant opened fire with an M16 rifle. He expressed confidence that the community would overcome the incident and that the area would remain open to visitors.