TEL AVIV – Three Israelis were wounded in a shooting attack carried out by a member of the Palestinian security services in the West Bank on Sunday morning, Ynet news reported.
The terrorist arrived at a checkpoint and opened fire with a handgun before being shot dead by IDF troops. He wounded two people seriously and lightly wounded a third.
A source in the Palestinian security services told Ynet that the terrorist, Amjad a-Sukari, 34, from Jamma’in, was part of the Palestinian security forces and worked as the driver for Palestinian Attorney General Ahmad Hanoun in Ramallah.
One of the wounded, 21 years old, was taken to a hospital in Jerusalem in serious condition with a gunshot wound to his neck.
Another, 31, in serious condition, arrived in a different hospital with gunshot wounds to his stomach and extremities. The third, 20, was in light condition after being hit in his extremities.
Israeli security forces searched the area for possible accomplices.
The source told Ynet that the Palestinian security services view this as a very unusual incident both because of the shooter’s job and because of the fact he was married with four children.
However, a-Sukari is not the first member of the Palestinian security services to commit an attack. There have been at least two other cases of Palestinian security officers committing terrorist acts.
The last post a-Sukari wrote on Facebook said: “A morning of victory. There is no god but God and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah. There is nothing worth living for on this land. Unfortunately I don’t see anything worth living for as long as the occupation makes our souls disappear and kills our brothers and sisters. Have mercy on our martyrs, heal our wounds, and release our prisoners. You came first and we, Allah willing, are following in your footsteps.”
A source who knew a-Sukari told Ynet that the reason for the attack was the terrorist’s serious financial problems. According to the source, a-Sukari was deep in debt to several different people, and was only making 2,200 NIS (approximately $550 per month) at his job.
Hamas issued a statement saying the attack “was a natural response to the crimes of execution Israel commits. This attack represents a clear sign there are nationalistic individuals within the security services who oppose the security coordination with Israel.”
In a separate attack on Sunday afternoon, a driver attempted to burst through a checkpoint in the West Bank and run over soldiers standing guard. The soldiers shot and neutralized the driver. No other injuries were reported.
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