Palestinian gunman kills one in Hebron settlement, is shot dead

Palestinian gunman kills one in Hebron settlement, is shot dead
A Palestinian gunman has killed one person and wounded three others in an Israeli settlement near Hebron in the occupied West Bank
2 min read
04 November, 2022
The shooting happened at an Israeli checkpoint near Hebron in the occupied West Bank [Getty]

A Palestinian gunman killed one person and wounded at least three others in an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank before being shot dead by a guard, the Israeli military, medics and a settlement spokesperson said.

The Islamist group Hamas claimed the slain Hebron gunman as its member.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right politician from the settlement known for his racist anti-Palestinian rhetoric, was unharmed.

His Religious Zionism party is projected to place third in Israel's election on Tuesday.

"I say to these terrorists, if they think that threats, that attempted murder will deter me - it won't help you. I am pressing ahead," Ben-Gvir told Israel's Channel 12 TV.

Israel has in recent months escalated deadly raids in the West Bank, storming and besieging Palestinian cities and killing and injuring hundreds of civilians. 

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A settlement spokesperson said four Israelis were wounded in the shooting near a checkpoint in Hebron, where hundreds of settlers live in the heart of a Palestinian city and carry out frequent attacks on local Palestinians.

One of the casualties from the shooting, a middle-aged man, was later declared dead. It was not immediately clear if he held Israeli citizenship.

Israel's Magen David Adom ambulance service said a Palestinian had also been lightly wounded in the incident.

The Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance service said one of its crew members in Hebron was hit in the shoulder by Israeli gunfire. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on that. 

(The New Arab Staff and Reuters)