Three wounded in terrorist attack in Gush Etzion, one in serious condition

Drive-by shooting attack near Tekoa, southeast of Jerusalem, leaves Israeli man and his two daughters wounded. 

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Three people were wounded in a terrorist shooting attack in the eastern Gush Etzion area south of Jerusalem Sunday morning.

The attack occurred near Tekoa Junction, outside of the Israeli community of Tekoa southeast of the capital, when a terrorist driving down the road opened fire on a passing car.

The victims were a 35-year-old man his two daughters, ages 14 and 9.

The male victim, identified as Nokdim resident and father of five El-Roi Kapach, suffered gunshot wounds and is listed in serious condition, while the two female victims – Rachel and Avigayil Kapach – were wounded by shrapnel, and are listed in light condition.

Eighteen years ago, Kapach’s father-in-law and mother-in-law, Dov and Rachel Kol, were murdered by Palestinian terrorists in a roadside shooting attack near Gush Katif.

MDA and United Hatzalah emergency first responders were dispatched to the scene to treat the victims, before evacuating them to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.

“Together with EMS personnel from the IDF we treated a man in his thirties for a gunshot wound and two young women, his daughters, for light injuries,” United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Leah Klein said.

“The man was in moderate but stable condition when he was transported to the hospital.”

“This morning there was a terrorist drive-by shooting at the Tekoa Junction,” said Gush Etzion Regional Council Mayor and Yesha Council Chairman Shlomo Ne’eman.

“A resident of Gush Etzion was seriously wounded, and his two daughters, who were with him in the car, were lightly wounded from shrapnel.  The wounded were transported to Shaare Zedek, as IDF forces are in pursuit of the terrorists.”

“It was a terrible morning with difficult news, as there was a terrorist shooting here in Gush Etzion. We’re talking about an area where there hasn’t been a serious terrorist attack for years. We all wish a speedy recovery to the person wounded, and embrace the security forces who will soon catch the despicable terrorists, and settle the score with them. We will not give in to the terrorists who seek to spill Jewish blood and throw us out of our country.”

IDF forces and Israel Police units launched a manhunt of the area to search for the terrorist responsible for the shooting.

Later Sunday afternoon it was reported that the terrorist who opened fire had been arrested after he was found hiding in a mosque in the Palestinian Authority-controlled city of Bethlehem.

Israel Hayom reported that despite initial reports of a gunbattle with Israeli security forces, there was no exchange of fire.