Three Israelis have been killed in a suspected Palestinian attack in the southern West Bank, the Israeli military (IDF) said on Sunday.
Two of the victims, both in their 30s, were killed in the incident near Hebron, Israel’s Zaka rescue service said. A third person was later pronounced dead in hospital, media reports said.
The Israeli military said the attackers opened fire on a vehicle carrying the three victims at a military checkpoint. Security services are currently searching for the attackers in the southern West Bank, the military said.
Israel launched a military operation in the northern West Bank on Wednesday, citing a significant increase in attacks on Israelis as justification for the move. The operation is targeting Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants.
The situation in the West Bank has deteriorated significantly since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, which was triggered by the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israel on October 7.
Since then, 648 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations, confrontations or their own attacks in the West Bank, according to the Health Ministry in Ramallah.