Israeli Arabs Assisted Gunman in West Bank Shooting Attack, Shin Bet Says

Israeli security forces revealed that the gunman who carried out a deadly shooting attack in the West Bank, killing one civilian and injuring several others, received assistance prior to the assault. The attacker, identified as Omar Yassin, an Israeli Arab from Tayibe, used a stolen Israeli vehicle to launch his attack on October 12, targeting multiple locations including Tzur Yitzhak, Kochav Yair, Tzur Yigal, and Sela'it.

According to the investigation by the Shin Bet and Israeli police, three Israeli Arab suspects from Tayibe and Baqa al-Gharbiyye were aware of Yassin's intentions but failed to prevent the attack. One of these suspects provided Yassin with the Carlo submachine gun used during the shootings. The attack began around 10:40 a.m. near a McDonald's and gas station close to Kochav Yair-Tzur Yigal, where Yassin fired at civilians, wounding two. He then proceeded to Tzur Yitzhak and Tzur Natan, shooting at security posts and wounding a guard.

Yassin continued to the settlement of Sela'it, where he fatally shot Haim Kalumiti, who was sitting in his car. At 10:52 a.m., Yassin opened fire again at the settlement's security post but was repelled by the local security officer. Israeli security forces pursued Yassin, who was eventually killed in an open area between Tzur Natan and Tayibe near the Tayibe quarries. The investigation into the assistance Yassin received is ongoing as authorities seek to clarify the full extent of the support network behind the attack.