West Bank Shootings
Shootings near West Bank leave one dead and five wounded, Israeli rescue services report.
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A coordinated shooting attack killed one Israeli man and wounded five others near the West Bank border on Sunday, June 7, 2026. Three separate locations were hit within minutes of each other, starting around 10:30 a.m. local time, according to Associated Press.
Israeli police identified both attackers as Palestinian citizens of Israel from the town of Taybeh — a rare and alarming development for security officials. Both assailants were killed by security forces later that morning, according to Times of Israel.
Three Simultaneous Attacks Unfold in Under 15 Minutes
The first shooting hit a gas station near Kokhav Yair at 10:30 a.m., wounding two men — one seriously, one moderately. Seven minutes later, a gunman fired from a passing vehicle at the entrance to Tzur Yitzhak, wounding a 31-year-old security guard. At 10:40 a.m., attackers opened fire near Tzur Natan, killing a 30-year-old Israeli man and critically wounding a man in his 40s, according to i24NEWS.
The attackers then moved toward the Israeli settlement of Sal'it inside the West Bank. The settlement's military security coordinator returned fire, forcing them to flee. Police and IDF forces tracked down and killed both men — one near Tzur Yitzhak, the second after a manhunt near Taybeh, according to Times of Israel.
Israeli Citizens as Attackers Stun Security Officials
The two assailants used a makeshift "Carlo" submachine gun and drove a vehicle with Israeli license plates. Security officials say Israeli-Arab attackers are much harder to track than militants crossing from the West Bank. Oshrit Gani Gonen, head of the regional council, said: "I don't think that anyone imagined that we would discover the attackers were Israeli citizens," according to Associated Press.
Security analysts at the Institute for National Security Studies noted that hitting three locations at once shows a level of planning far beyond a lone-wolf attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he was "closely monitoring developments" and held an immediate situation assessment after the strikes, according to The National News.
Hamas Praises Attack, Citing Hebron Infant's Death
Hamas praised the shootings as a "heroic" response to Israeli aggression. The group specifically cited the death of seven-month-old Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, killed on June 5 when Israeli troops fired on a Palestinian vehicle south of Hebron. His father, Bethlehem University lecturer Fahd Abu Haikal, said of his son: "He was the entire world," according to LA Times.
The IDF said the June 5 shooting occurred because the vehicle appeared to be "accelerating toward" soldiers and launched an inquiry. Rights groups noted a spike in civilian shootings during 2026 raids. Palestinian and regional media framed Sunday's attack as an "inevitable response" to ongoing violence in the West Bank, according to i24NEWS.
A Violent Year With Wider Regional Stakes
2026 has already been the deadliest year on record for settler violence. Over 4,500 attacks have been recorded since the current Israeli government took office, and 1,500 Palestinians were displaced in just the first 10 weeks of 2026, according to Associated Press citing ACLED data. At least 240 Palestinian children have been killed in the West Bank since October 2023.
France and other EU allies are reportedly finalizing a package of sanctions against Israeli settlers and organizations involved in West Bank violence, targeting a June 12 deadline, according to Times of Israel. Far-right Israeli ministers, meanwhile, are pushing for harsher laws against the families of Israeli-Arab attackers, including citizenship revocation — a move likely to deepen divisions inside Israel.
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