Israel police says 3 West Bank attack victims were police officers

TARQUMYA: Israeli police said the three people killed in Sunday’s shooting attack in the occupied West Bank were members of the police force.
“Three members of the police force were killed this morning in a shooting attack,” Ouzi Levy, chief of the Israeli police in the West Bank, told reporters at the scene of the attack near the Tarqumiya checkpoint near the city of Hebron.
Israel’s medical emergency service, Magen David Adom, earlier had announced the death of the three, two men and a woman.
“This was a very severe attack. We saw a vehicle with bullet marks on a mound beside the road,” the emergency service said in a statement quoting two of its paramedics who had rushed to the scene.
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir also visited the scene of the attack and called for more checkpoints be set up in the area.
“Right to life (of Israelis) is more important than freedom of movement of PA (Palestinian Authority) residents,” he told journalists.
“Instead of freeing terrorists, shoot them in the head.”

Sunday’s shooting comes as Israeli forces pressed on with a widespread operation in the West Bank since Wednesday.
Explosions and gunfire were heard in Jenin city on Sunday, an AFP photographer reported, as Israeli forces continued to operate there.
At least 22 Palestinians have been killed since simultaneous raids were launched on Wednesday across the northern West Bank, including 14 militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups.
Since Friday, soldiers have concentrated operations on Jenin and its refugee camp, a densely-populated community which has long been bastions of Palestinian armed groups.
Violence across the West Bank has soared since the war in Gaza began after the October 7 attack by Hamas on southern Israel.
Around 650 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces and settlers since October 7, according to the United Nations.
During the same period at least 23 Israelis have been killed in the territory in either Palestinian attacks during security operations by Israeli forces, according to official Israeli figures.