A shooting attack on a bus carrying Israelis in the occupied West Bank killed three people and injured seven others on Monday, Israel media reported. The victims included two women in their 60s and a man in his 40s.
The attack happened in Al-Funduq, a Palestinian village along a key east-west road in the territory. Israeli military forces launched a search for the assailants, who fled the scene. Officials have not yet identified the attackers or the victims.
Violence in the West Bank has intensified since Hamas assaulted Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered Israel’s now 15-month war on Gaza that has now spread beyond the territory itself into the West Bank and Lebanon. Palestine’s Health Ministry reported that at least 835 Palestinians in the West Bank have died from Israeli fire since the war began.
The West Bank has seen an escalating cycle of attacks in recent years by settlers against Palestinians and their property as well as shootings, stabbings, and car-ramming incidents targeting Israelis. Israel has conducted frequent military raids, often resulting in deadly confrontations.
The occupied West Bank remains a central flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinians, who number around three million in the territory, live under Israeli military rule, while the Palestinian Authority governs some population centers. Over 500,000 Israeli settlers reside in communities widely regarded by the international community as illegal.
Meanwhile, Israel’s military offensive on Gaza continues to devastate the region. Launched after Hamas group members killed 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped 250 others in October 2023, Israel’s scorched earth policy has caused massive destruction over the past 15 months. Gaza health officials said over 45,800 Palestinians have died, about 70% of whom are women and children, and 90% of the enclave’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced multiple times.
Negotiations toward a ceasefire and hostage release are reportedly progressing, but no resolution to the war or the broader conflict appears imminent. Aid organizations have been warning of dire humanitarian conditions for months, citing severe shortages of food and medical supplies, and inadequate shelter amid freezing winter weather.