The victim was initially reported in critical condition, but Magen David Adom paramedics said he showed no pulse or signs of breathing upon their arrival. “We performed medical tests but unfortunately, his injuries were severe and we had to pronounce him dead,” said one of the paramedics.
(Video: Magen David Adom)
The attack was described as a combined shooting and stabbing assault. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the attackers arrived at the scene, carried out the assault and were quickly shot by IDF soldiers and other security personnel present.
Large numbers of police and military forces from the Judea and Samaria District were deployed to the area to secure the scene, treat those affected and search for additional suspects. The police urged the public to avoid the area to allow emergency responders to operate effectively.
Following the attack, IDF troops surrounded the nearby Palestinian town of Halhul and blocked access routes to Hebron, Bethlehem and the town of Tuqu’. Palestinian sources confirmed the closures.
Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers opened fire in the mall’s parking area. A civilian who initially approached the victim said his personal firearm appeared to have been taken by the assailants and used against him at close range. Other civilians at the scene reportedly returned fire and helped neutralize the attackers.
MDA emergency medic Avraham Zeibald described the scene as “a horrifying terror attack,” adding that teams also treated several people for shock.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, speaking at a press conference with his German and Austrian counterparts, acknowledged the attack and urged international audiences to recognize the persistent threat to Israeli civilians. “When the European Union discusses so-called ‘settler violence,’ please remember which public is more exposed than any other to terrorism and violence — the settler public,” he said.
The attack comes months after a deadly shooting at the same junction last December, in which 12-year-old Yehoshua Aharon Tuvia Simcha was killed and three others wounded when a gunman fired at least 23 rounds at a bus.
