Worthy Christian News > Israel-Palestinian Conflict > Highway Terror Near Jerusalem Kills 1; Attackers Also Gunned Down, Police Say

Highway Terror Near Jerusalem Kills 1; Attackers Also Gunned Down, Police Say

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Three “Palestinian terrorists” shot at commuters stuck in a traffic jam near Jerusalem, killing one Israeli and injuring several others, before being gunned down by armed civilians, Israeli police confirmed early Thursday.

Besides the person who was killed, more than a dozen were wounded following the shootings on Highway 1 near Ma’ale Adumim just outside Israel’s capital, officials said.

The attackers were identified as Muhammed Zuwarah, 26, and his brother Hathem Zuwarah, 31, along with Ahmad al-Hush, aged 31. All three were reportedly Palestinian residents of the West Bank.

They arrived at the scene in two separate vehicles, fully armed with an M-16 rifle, a Carlo submachine gun, grenades, and cartridges, Israeli sources said.

Armed civilians reportedly rushed to intervene and shot dead the three attackers.

It was not immediately clear whether killing them was the only option to neutralize the suspects, but the fact they carried grenades and continued shooting was believed to have influenced the split-second decision.

Witnesses said the attackers exited their vehicles and began to shoot toward people sitting inside their cars in a tactic resembling the tactics used by Hamas gunmen on October 7, when about 1,200 people were killed.

TERRORISTS “NEUTRALIZED”

The two terrorists who began shooting “were neutralized,” while a third who tried to escape was later located and apparently shot and killed, according to Israeli sources.

Footage soon emerged Thursday of chaos at the highway with crowds watching in shock at what happened and an ambulance and rescue workers nearby, Worthy News monitored.

“The terrorists took advantage of the traffic jam at the A-Za’ayem checkpoint that separates the West Bank from Jerusalem,” said The Jerusalem Post newspaper writer Keshet Neev.

“Vehicles coming from the direction of Ma’aleh Adumim and other points in the West Bank, including the Jordan Valley, were stuck in a protracted traffic jam as they waited to be given clearance to head onward in the directions of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv,” Neev added.

The murdered person was later named as Israeli Matan Elmaliach, 26, from Ma’aleh Adumim.

At least eleven people were rushed to nearby Jerusalem hospitals, including a 30-year-old woman with gunshot wounds to her upper body and a 23-year-old man with gunshot wounds to the abdomen and limbs, rescue workers said.

Among other injured people were a 52-year-old woman with similar gunshot wounds to her limbs and a 51-year-old man with similar injuries to his limbs, officials added.

SUFFERING OF PTSD

In addition, rescue teams evacuated at least four victims of the attack suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to the hospitals, volunteers said.

Avraham Becker of Israel’s volunteer-based emergency medical services organization, United Hatzalah, recalled that “There were injured people at several locations.”

Becker told Israeli media that he “provided initial treatment to two women who suffered gunshot injuries and another woman who suffered from emotional shock. Other United Hatzalah [volunteers] worked at the other scenes and assisted several more people who were in various conditions.”

Thursday’s attack came as Israel prepared for more acts of terrorism as its declared war against Hamas in Gaza intensified and the Islamic Ramadan period neared.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the “serious attack this morning near Maale Adumim reminds us once again that Palestinian terrorism must be defeated. Thanks to the bravery of the security forces and the armed citizens who were on the scene, a greater disaster was avoided.”

Soon after the shootings, Israel’s military was moving into the village of Za’atar, located near Ma’ale Adumim, an urban Israeli settlement in the West Bank, seven kilometers (4.3 miles) east of Jerusalem, Israeli media reported.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) interrogated the suspected “terrorists’ family members” in the village from which they allegedly departed to carry out Thursday’s highway attack.

LOCALS ANGRY

However, with more terrorism feared, local officials complained that Israeli authorities had declined to set up additional security checks.

The head of the Israeli settlement Efrat’s local council, Oded Revivi, said they had been contacting several ministries, the military, and the police, warning them of possible attacks. “These traffic jams are a recipe for plotting an attack against Israelis who stand in traffic,” said Revivi.

“We initially appealed in various meetings and through letters, and we even initiated a discussion in the National Security Committee in [Israel’s parliament] the Knesset,” the official added. “All the calls so far have unfortunately fallen on deaf ears,” said in published remarks.

The deputy mayor of Ma’ale Adumim, Guy Yifrah, described the situation as a state of emergency.

He demanded the construction of a new road and additional checkpoints to ensure that Palestinians are not allowed to enter Jerusalem without prior “inspection.”

“Driving with Palestinians on Route 1 is a ticking time bomb,” The Jerusalem Post quoted him as saying.

While it was not immediately clear who was responsible for Thursday’s violence, Israel says several Iran-backed groups, including Hamas and others, are active in the region.