One dead, five wounded in central Israel shooting

Emergency medical teams responded to several apparent drive-by shooting incidents on Sunday between Kochav Yair and Tzur Natan in central Israel, which Magen David Adom said left one person dead and five others wounded with penetrating injuries, two seriously and three moderately.

MDA paramedics and EMTs pronounced the death of a man in his 30s with gunshot wounds and provided medical treatment while evacuating the wounded to Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba and Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah.

Israel Police said that a shooting was reported at a gas station in Kochav Yair, with two people wounded, according to medical officials. 

MDA paramedics and EMTs reported the man approximately 30 years old with no signs of life and penetrating injuries, and pronounced him dead. They were also providing medical treatment and evacuating to Meir Medical Center a man approximately 40 years old in serious and unstable condition, with penetrating injuries.

The Israel Defense Forces said troops were dispatched alongside other security personnel to the areas of Sal’it and Tzur Yitzhak following reports of multiple shooting incidents, where they neutralized a terrorist at the scene. Another terrorist was caught. Both men are Israeli citizens.

Soldiers and medical teams were conducting searches for additional terrorists and providing treatment to the wounded, while reinforcements were en route, the IDF said.

The IDF Home Front Command issued a terrorist infiltration alert at 11:49 a.m., calling on residents of the Sharon region and Tzur Natan to “enter a protected space immediately.”

Police from the Central District, including Tira station officers, were at the scene gathering evidence and searching for suspects.

The circumstances are under investigation.

Magen David Adom said earlier that a report was received at 10:40 a.m. of two men wounded on Route 5533 near Tzur Natan, where medics are treating two casualties, including one who was unconscious.

In a separate incident nearby, MDA said a report was received at 10:37 a.m. of a man wounded at the entrance to Tzur Yitzhak, with medics evacuating a 31-year-old man in moderate condition with a penetrating injury to Beilinson Hospital.

The Prime Minister’s Office said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a situational assessment and “is monitoring the deadly shooting attack along the seam line.”

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said that if the attacker is captured alive (and convicted), he should be executed under what he described as the “death penalty for terrorists” law, asserting that those who kill Jews should face capital punishment.

This is a developing story.