Gunman kills Israeli driver as violence roils West Bank
HAWARA, West Bank — A Palestinian gunman Monday shot and killed an Israeli motorist in the occupied West Bank, the latest bloodshed in a fresh wave of fighting that showed no signs of slowing.
The killing occurred a day after two Israelis were killed by a Palestinian gunman in the northern West Bank, triggering a rampage in which Israeli settlers torched dozens of cars and homes in a Palestinian town. It was the worst such violence in decades.
The Israeli army said Monday’s attackers opened fire at an Israeli car near the Palestinian city of Jericho, hitting the motorist.
The assailants, traveling in one vehicle, then drove farther and fired again, the army said. The attackers set their own vehicle afire and fled, setting off a manhunt.
The 27-year-old Israeli motorist was transferred from the scene to Hadassah Medical Center, where he later died of his injuries, according to a statement by hospital spokeswoman
Hadar Elboim.
Earlier, Israel sent hundreds more troops to the northern West Bank to restore calm after Sunday’s violence.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, the most right-wing in Israel’s history, came under criticism for its failure to halt a surge in violence and for sending what some saw as mixed messages. As Netanyahu appealed for calm, a member of his ruling coalition praised the rampage as deterrence against Palestinian attacks.
The Israeli army also came under criticism for its failure to move quickly to stop the rioting.
The events also underscored the limitations of the traditional U.S. approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Washington has been trying to prevent escalation while staying away from the politically costly task of pushing for a resolution of the core disputes.
As the violence raged in the West Bank, such an attempt at conflict management was taking place Sunday in Jordan, with the U.S. bringing together Israeli and Palestinian officials to work out a plan for de-escalation.
Sunday’s events kicked off when a Palestinian gunman shot and killed brothers Hillel and Yagel Yaniv, ages 21 and 19, from the Jewish settlement of Har Bracha, in an ambush in the Palestinian town of Hawara in the northern West Bank.
The gunman fled and remained on the loose Monday.
Following the shooting, settlers rampaged along the main thoroughfare in Hawara, which is used by both Palestinians and Israeli settlers.
Late Sunday, a 37-yearold Palestinian was shot and killed by Israeli fire, two Palestinians were wounded and another was beaten with an iron bar, Palestinian health officials said. Some 95 Palestinians were being treated for tear gas inhalation, according to medics.
On Monday morning, the Hawara thoroughfare was lined with rows of burned cars and smoke-blackened buildings. Normally bustling shops remained shuttered. Palestinian media said some 30 homes and cars were torched.