Three Israeli civilians were killed and eight were injured in a shooting attack in the Shomron between Kedumim and Karnei Shomron on Monday morning.

At least two armed terrorists opened fire on a bus full of passengers and two cars driving on Route 55, which passes through the Palestinian village of al-Funduq. Three people who were in the cars were killed and eight people on the bus were injured, including the bus driver, 63, who was seriously injured. Two female bus passengers were moderately wounded and five others were lightly injured.

MDA paramedics were forced to declare the deaths of two women in their 60s who had been in one car, and a man in his 40s in the second car, at the scene. The other victims were treated at the scene and evacuated to the hospital.

The terrorists fled the scene. A large number of IDF forces arrived at the scene and a manhunt was launched, including setting up numerous roadblocks. IDF officials believe that the terrorists escaped to a nearby Palestinian village and troops have surrounded several villages.

One of the victims was later identified by Israel Police as Master Sgt. Elad Yaakov Winkelstein, H’yd, a husband and father of two and a resident of Ein HaNatziv, a religious kibbutz in northern Israel. He worked as an investigative officer at the Ariel police station. When the attack began, he opened fire at the terrorists in an attempt to stop them. Sadly, his eight-year-old son who was in the car with him witnessed his father’s death.

The other two of the victims of today’s terror attack were sisters-in-law Rachel Cohen H’yd, 73, and Eliza Rize, H’yd, age 70. The two women, both residents of Kedumim, were close friends and both had worked as educational consultants before they retired.

Rachel’s daughter Naomi said that her mother was a “woman who radiated simcha, chessed and positive energy. She was full of emunah and yiras Shamayim. She was an active and beloved mother and Savta who suffused us with love. She always chose to see the good in her life and that’s how she raised us. She still had many plans for her life. She spent her life helping others and was a listening ear to everyone.”

Eliza’s son Yair, said: “We were planning to make her a surprise party for her 70th birthday next week. She was a woman larger than life. Nothing stopped her. She had incredible willpower and determination that propelled her to accomplish great things in every area. She was a strong woman who always throughout about others and volunteered for the civilian patrol in Kedumim.”

MDA

 (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)