2025 al-Funduq shooting

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2025 Al-Funduq shooting
Part of the Israel–Hamas war
Location	Al-Funduq, Israeli-occupied West Bank
Date	6 January 2025
Target	Israelis
Attack type	Mass shooting, terrorist attack
Weapons	AK-style assault rifles
Deaths	3
Injured	8
Perpetrator	Hamas [1] Al-Qassam Brigades
No. of participants	3
Motive	Response to crimes committed by Israelis in the Gaza Strip

On 6 January 2025, three Palestinian gunman carried out a shooting attack on a bus and two cars in al-Funduq, northern West Bank, killing three people and injuring eight others.

Background

Main article: Israel–Hamas war

Tensions between Israel and the occupied West Bank have steadily increased since the 7 October 2023 attacks.

Attack

Three Palestinian gunmen got out of their white Sedan armed with assault rifles and opened fire at close range on a bus and two cars traveling along Highway 55 in Al-Funduq. Three people were killed and eight others were injured, including at least one seriously. ^{[1] [2]}

The attackers fled the scene after an armed civilian fired at them with a handgun. The Israel Defense Forces launched a manhunt to locate them using increased security and road blocks.

Victims

The victims were identified as 35-year-old police officer Master Sgt. Elad Yaakov Winkelstein, 73-year-old Aliza Rais and 70-year-old Rachel Cohen. Out of the eight injured people, the 63-year-old bus driver was transported to a hospital in serious condition. ^[3]

Perpetrators

The three Palestinian gunmen were from the Jenin area in the northern West Bank. Hamas's Al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack two days later. ^{[2] [4]} Two of the perpetrators were killed by Israeli forces near Jenin on January 22. ^[5]

Aftermath

In response to the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said that he approved operations for capturing attackers and a series of additional defensive and offensive operations in West Bank. ^{[6] [7]} Following the attack, multiple reports emerged of Israeli settler retaliatory attacks against Palestinians in parts of the occupied West Bank. ^[8]

See also

• Highway 4 shooting

References

1. "Three Israelis killed in shooting attack in occupied West Bank". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
2. Fabian, Emanuel. "3 Israelis killed, 8 wounded in West Bank terror shooting; IDF hunting for gunmen". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
3. Fabian, Emanuel (January 6, 2025). "3 Israelis killed, 8 wounded in West Bank terror shooting; IDF hunting for gunmen". The Times Of Israel . Retrieved January 17, 2025.
4. Fabian, Emanuel (January 8, 2025). "Hamas claims responsibility for deadly West Bank shooting attack this week". The Times Of Israel . Retrieved January 8, 2025.
5. Fabian, Emanuel (2025-01-23). "In Jenin, IDF kills 2 gunmen who shot 3 Israelis dead in terror attack this month". Times of Israel.
6. "Shooting attack on a bus carrying Israelis in the occupied West Bank kills 3". Associated Press . Retrieved 2025-01-06.
7. "3 Israelis killed, 8 wounded in West Bank terror shooting; IDF hunting for gunmen". The Times of Israel . Retrieved 2025-01-06.
8. Saltman, Max; Schwartz, Mike; Nasser, Irene (2025-01-06). "Occupied West Bank rocked by day of violence as gunmen kill three Israeli settlers and reprisal attacks reported". CNN. Retrieved 2025-01-07.