Shooting near Hawar: details and reaction

News » Arab-Israeli conflict

US citizen David Stern was wounded in a gunfight near Hawar in northern Samaria on Sunday afternoon, just three weeks after of how two Israelis were killed as a result. A resident of the village, Itamar Stern, a former US Marine, was transferred to the hospital of the Rabin-Beilinson Medical Center in Petah Tikva in serious condition. His wife, also a US citizen, was slightly injured in the attack.

After the shot, Stern managed to shoot the terrorist, wounding him. A soldier who arrived at the same time as David fired at the terrorist, who ran away but was soon discovered by Israeli forces.

The attacker was identified as Light Nadeem Nassar, a resident of the village of Madama, southwest of Nablus. According to preliminary data, about 20 bullets were fired into the car.

“I have known the wounded man for many years. He is my dear friend, a professional fighter and a balanced person”, – says the statement of the MP from “Religious Zionism” Zvi Sukkot. “After a direct attack, he managed to return fire, hit the terrorist and escape. A miracle happened here!”

After the attack, Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, said: “I say to the barbaric terrorists in the Palestinian Authority: you will never destroy the settlement in Samaria!” I say to the government: stop behaving like the previous government, which by its inaction gave up security. I call and demand from the prime minister, the minister of defense and all our friends who are ministers. in the government – it was the turn of the IDF to launch a military operation against the terrorist Palestinian Authority. Take back the roadblocks, collect weapons, we will not accept or accept a situation where Jewish blood continues to flow in Samaria in the center of the State of Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was praying for the health of wounded civilians , and expressed support for the security forces operating in the area.

“I wish a full recovery to the hero who reacted quickly and calmly and saved his life, the life of his wife and the lives of other Jews who may have been harmed by the shooting”,– National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said. “I urge my friends to quickly pass a law providing for the death penalty for terrorists and make it clear that any murderer who leaves his home to harm Jews is sentenced to death!”

Orit Struk, Minister of Settlements and National Missions, said after the attack that “trade must be stopped along the axis where density harbors dangers, search for weapons there from house to house and, of course, immediately re-establish settlement at Evyatar.”
Elisha Yered, Assistant Member of the Knesset for Otzma Yehudit Limor Sonn Har-Meleh, tweeted after the attack: “Hawara should be erased now! No apologies, no wrangling”.

Palestinians celebrated the attack by cheering and handing out sweets.

Hamas praised the attack, and spokesman Hazem Qassem said it was “natural response to the crimes of the occupation against the Palestinian people. He further noted that “PA resistance is getting stronger and no security meetings in Aqaba or Sharm el-Sheikh can stop it.”

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad also hailed the attack, calling his “natural response to the crimes of the occupation of Damascus in Jenin”.

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