Eight Israelis injured in bus shooting in Occupied West Bank

A shooting incident involving a bus near an Israeli settlement resulted in injuries to at least eight individuals on Friday in the occupied West Bank, as reported by an Israeli rescue service.

Since the onset of the Gaza conflict, which was ignited by Hamas's assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, violence in the West Bank has escalated significantly.

The Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, has claimed responsibility for the incident, which left numerous bullet impacts on the bus's windshield.

The attack took place at an intersection near the settlement of Ariel, according to a statement from the Israeli military.

The military further noted that a "terrorist was neutralized on the spot."

According to the Magen David Adom rescue service, four individuals sustained gunshot wounds, three of which were serious, while four others were lightly injured due to glass shards.

A spokesperson for MDA indicated that three of the injured were conscious and lying near the bus when rescuers arrived, and those in critical condition were transported to a hospital in a "stable condition."

Hamas while claiming the responsibility said: , "In this operation, one of our heroic fighters ambushed a number of Israeli soldiers and settlers inside a bus," identifying the assailant as 46-year-old Samer Hussein from a village near Nablus.

Israeli official statistics indicate that at least 24 Israelis, including soldiers, have lost their lives in Palestinian attacks or during military operations in the West Bank since the beginning of the Gaza war.

During the same timeframe, an AFP tally based on Palestinian official figures reports that at least 778 Palestinians have been killed in the region by Israeli forces or settlers.

All Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which have been occupied since 1967, are deemed illegal under international law.