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A shooting attack carried out by a single Palestinian gunman in the occupied West Bank on February 4 left ten Israeli troops dead or wounded.
The gunman infiltrated the Taysir checkpoint, close to the Palestinian village of the same name in the northern part of the West Bank. According to an initial probe by the Israeli Defense Forces, the gunman managed to sneak up to a military post at the checkpoint, where he exchanged fire with troops.
Two troops were killed and eight others were wounded in the attack, according to the IDF. Two of the wounded were listed in serious condition.
The gunman was also killed while attempting to run away from the post by a backup force dispatched by the IDF.
Video footage posted to social networks showed the moments of the attack. In the video, gunfire can be seen at the top of the watchtower.
The deadly attack followed a series of large-scale operations by the IDF in the West Bank, including an offensive on the Jenin refugee camp that claimed the lives of more than 55 Palestinians. It also came amid a ceasefire and prisoner-swap deal in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking at the scene of the attack, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said the army would further expand military operations in the area.
“This is a difficult attack in which we lost two reserve soldiers. We will investigate and learn lessons, some of them have already been implemented,” he said. “We will increase the operations to thwart [attacks], and expand them to additional areas.”
Shortly after, Palestinian media reported an Israeli drone strike in the town of Tamun, close to Tayasir. No injuries were reported and there was no comment from the IDF.
Recent IDF operations in the West Bank have failed to put an end to attacks by Palestinians as evident by the incident in Tayasir. As long as the war in Gaza is still ongoing, violence in the West Bank and within Israel will not likely come to a halt.
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