Palestinian gunman opens fire at Jewish homes, IDF troops – report

Suspect reportedly opened fire at Jewish community near Ramallah, then shot at troops who attempted to arrest him.

By World Israel News Staff

A Palestinian gunman who attempted to carry out a terror attack in the settlement of Psagot, near Ramallah, opened fire on IDF troops that attempted to detain him and was shot dead late Wednesday evening.

According to Hebrew language media reports, the man who was shot, identified as 26-year-old Mohammad Issa Abbas, was one of several suspects who had approached Psagot and started firing at homes in the community.

After fleeing in a vehicle, he reportedly shot at IDF troops that had traveled to the area to arrest the perpetrators of the attempted terror attack.

In response, he was shot by soldiers and taken to the hospital in Ramallah, where he later died.

A statement from the IDF said that the suspect was from the town of Al-Bireh, a Ramallah suburb, and that he had fired at forces from a passing vehicle.

“Following [the shooting], a riot was instigated with the participation of dozens of Palestinians surrounding the troops, who responded with riot dispersal means,” the IDF statement said.

“No IDF injuries were reported.”

Hussein Abu Kweik, a senior Hamas official, praised Issa’s actions and told the terror group’s TV station that Israel “must expect more such responses of resistance” soon.

“Our people will not wave the flag of surrender and will continue to resist by every means,” he added.

Wednesday’s incident marked the latest in a surge of terror attacks carried out in Israel, mostly in the Jerusalem area, over the last six weeks.

Last week, 25-year-old yeshiva student Yehuda Dimentman was shot to death near Homesh in northern Samaria.

On Saturday, an Israeli man was stabbed by an elderly Palestinian woman near the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron.

In early December, an Israeli mother in the Shimon HaTzadik (Sheikh Jarrah) neighborhood in eastern Jerusalem was stabbed by a 14-year-old Arab girl as she walked her young children to school.

In late November, South African immigrant Eli Kay was murdered by a Hamas gunman in the Old City of Jerusalem.