After a joint manhunt by IDF, police, and Shin Bet forces throughout the night, which included a military encirclement of Bethlehem and military pressure in the surrounding area, the terrorist who carried out the shooting attack at the Al-Hadar junction in Gush Etzion surrendered this morning (Thursday) to security forces. The terrorist is a resident of Beit Awwa near Hebron.
Security Forces Surrounded Bethlehem
As a reminder, a terrorist opened fire last night at a civilian Israeli bus at the Al-Hadar junction, the tunnels checkpoint, in Gush Etzion. Yehoshua Aharon Tuvia Simcha, a 12-year-old boy, was severely injured and his death was confirmed at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center. Two men, aged approximately 55 and 24, were injured by shrapnel, and their condition is mild; another injured woman, about 40 years old, was evacuated for medical treatment at Shaare Zedek Hospital, where her condition was defined as moderate.
Shortly after 23:30, a terrorist arrived by car in the tunnels checkpoint area and opened fire at bus line 291, which was leaving Beitar Illit and heading to Jerusalem. As mentioned, four people were affected by the gunfire. Security forces initiated a chase, set up barriers, and surrounded Bethlehem. Twenty-two bullet impacts were found on the bus.
MDA paramedic Elhai Sofer and senior MDA medic Yaakov Greenwald recounted what they saw: “We arrived quickly at the scene, saw the bus with passengers, conducted a quick scan, and saw a boy about 12 years old with gunshot wounds to his upper body. We provided life-saving medical treatment and evacuated him in an MDA intensive care ambulance to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital while continuing treatment as we fought for his life.”
