Bloodshed in the West Bank: Three Israelis Killed, Gaza Violence Intensifies
Attack triggers retaliatory violence, strong rhetoric from Israeli ministers, and mounting casualties in Gaza amid ongoing ceasefire talks
- Gunmen killed three Israelis and injured seven in a bus shooting near Qalqilya
- Israeli ministers call for harsher measures; settlers retaliate with violent acts
- Airstrikes kill 14 as ceasefire talks continue, with over 45,800 dead in the 15-month conflict
Three Israelis lost their lives, and seven others were injured in a bus shooting attack in the occupied West Bank.
The attack occurred in Al-Funduq, near the Israeli settlement of Kedumim and the city of Qalqilya, claiming the lives of two women in their 60s and a man in his 40s, according to Israeli rescue services.
The Israeli military reported that two armed Palestinian assailants carried out the attack, prompting the closure of checkpoints in the Qalqilya and Nablus areas as forces searched for the perpetrators.
Far-right Israeli ministers responded with strong rhetoric. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for demolishing Palestinian towns, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir demanded an end to cooperation with the Palestinian Authority, accusing it of supporting terrorism.
In retaliation, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian vehicles near Burin, south of Nablus, and targeted a school in Bardala in the northern West Bank. The violence coincides with ongoing deadly Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, which claimed at least 14 lives on Monday morning, including a child.
As ceasefire talks continue in Doha, reports suggest a potential agreement to release 34 hostages in the initial phase, though Israeli officials have yet to confirm the hostages’ condition. The Gaza conflict, now in its 15th month, has resulted in over 45,800 deaths and left more than 109,000 injured.
