Israeli hiker killed and four wounded in West Bank shooting, suspect killed by army
A Palestinian who seized a weapon from an Israeli emergency responder opened fire on hikers near Gilad Farm, killing one and wounding four; the attacker was later killed by the Israeli Defense Forces.
At least one Israeli was killed and four others wounded when a Palestinian seized a gun from an emergency-response squad member and opened fire on hikers near the Gilad Farm settlement southwest of Nablus on Friday morning, Israeli officials said. The victim was identified as 32-year-old Benayahu Melet, a member of the settlement’s emergency response team, who was trying to assist the group when he was shot. He is survived by his wife and two daughters, aged 12 and 13.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched a manhunt, located the gunman and killed him at the scene. The stolen weapon was recovered and returned to the squad. Paramedics from Magen David Adom treated the injured, including a 25-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the upper body who was evacuated by helicopter, and a critically injured unconscious man who later died despite resuscitation efforts. Two other wounded hikers, aged about 30 and 25, were taken to Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital, one in critical condition and the other with serious injuries. Two additional hikers received treatment for minor wounds at the scene.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt-Gen. Eyal Zamir convened a meeting to discuss the response to the attack. > "We will act strongly against terrorists and their proxies, and we will not allow terrorism in Judea and Samaria to raise its head," Netanyahu said.
Zamir ordered the deployment of additional IDF units, including companies from the Nahal Brigade’s reconnaissance battalion and the General Staff’s infantry regiment, to reinforce security in the area and deter further attacks. The incident follows two stabbing attacks the previous day, marking a third terror incident in the West Bank within 24 hours.
Israeli officials warned that the wave of violence could provoke retaliatory acts and announced a broader operational campaign focused on Nablus and the Samaria region, aimed at arresting suspects and securing friction points. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that four Palestinians were killed and four wounded in clashes with the IDF, though Israeli authorities have not confirmed these figures.