Two Israelis were killed and one seriously wounded in a shooting terror attack in the West Bank on Sunday morning, near the Ariel Junction.
The two victims were named as IDF soldier Gal Keidan and Rabbi Achiad Ettinger.
The attacker, according to Palestinian media, is Omar Abu Laila, a 19-year-old from the town of Az-Zawiya.
Yesterday morning, he stabbed Sergeant Gal Keidan and stole his gun, opening fire at three passing vehicles, hitting Rabbi Ettinger, before stealing an abandoned vehicle and escaping. He drove to the nearby Gitai Avishar junction, where he opened fire again, wounding another soldier, Alexander Dvorsky.
The car that the terrorist was driving was found abandoned near the West Bank village of Burkin, and it is thought that he is hiding in one of the villages nearby. The IDF is reported to be “in close pursuit”.
Rabbi Ettinger who was 47 and a father of 12 from the West Bank settlement of Eli. He was hurried to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva in critical condition, before he succumbed to his injuries this morning, the hospital said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted: “The people of Israel mourn over the murder of the late Rabbi Achiad Ettinger. I wish to send condolences to his family at this difficult time. May his memory be a blessing”.
