Extensive manhunts are in progress for the terrorist or terrorists responsible for the shooting attack on Sunday along Route 90, near the Mehola Junction in the Jordan Valley. This heinous act claimed the life of 23-year-old Yonatan Deutsch from the city of Beit She'an and left 32-year-old Anas Jaramena from the village of Muqeible with minor injuries. Palestinian media reported that IDF forces have entered nearby villages following the incident, while Hamas and Islamic Jihad have issued statements praising the attack.
Shooting attack
Deutsch was recently discharged from IDF service, and is survived by his parents, four brothers and one sister.
"He was an incredible young man, and words cannot explain. Patriotic and principled, he was part of a small group that accomplished the unimaginable in Beit She'an during the COVID-19 period. A volunteer through and through, despite the age difference, he was truly a friend," Beit She'an mayor Noam Jomaa said.
The initial alert of the attack came from Jaramena, a father of two daughters, who notified the IDF of gunfire directed at his vehicle. The forces met him near Mehola on Route 90 and found his car windows shattered by gunfire. While he received treatment at the scene, the search for the shooters began. Approximately 270 yards from where Jaramena was hit, the forces discovered the vehicle containing Deutsch, who was declared dead shortly thereafter.
IDF scour for shooter in nearby town
At this juncture, the forces formed an assessment, concluding that there were likely two terrorists involved – one firing the shots and the other driving. They inferred the terrorists first targeted the vehicle driven by Deutsch, continued driving, turned right at the Mehola Junction, and then shot at Jaramena. According to the IDF's investigation, the shooting was carried out with a 5.56 caliber rifle, and around 10 bullet casings were found at the scene, though the exact number of shots fired remains undetermined.
Following the shooting, the terrorists fled toward Jericho and Jerusalem, which is the general direction under investigation. However, the significant distances involved make it unclear if this is where future searches will focus. Special units from various branches of Israeli armed forces were dispatched to the area. Under the command of the Jordan Valley Brigade, the forces are utilizing technological means to assist in the pursuit and identification of the terrorists.
Meanwhile, the IDF is also examining possible connections to another incident from last week, when terrorists opened fire at the Bekaot checkpoint. In that instance, the IDF had set up an ambush for the terrorists, managing to hit one while the others escaped.
The report on Sunday of gunfire at two vehicles on Route 90 near the Mehola Junction was received by Magen David Adom hotline in the Gilboa area at 3:28 p.m. They provided initial treatment to the wounded at the scene and had to pronounce the young man's death. The lightly wounded individual was airlifted to Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa.
Mati Carmi, a senior medic, recalled what happened. "We received a report from the MDA center about a shooting attack near the Mehola Junction. Upon arrival, we found the wounded man conscious with gunshot wounds to his lower body. While providing medical treatment, which included stopping the bleeding and coordinating with the MDA helicopter that landed nearby, we received a report about another unconscious victim with gunshot wounds in a second vehicle. Together with an IDF medical force, we provided medical treatment to the second victim, but his injuries were critical, and we had no choice but to pronounce his death."
IDF spokesperson said in a statement: "Terrorists fired from a passing vehicle at several cars at the Mehola Junction on Route 90 in the Jordan Valley and Emek HaMa'ayanot Brigade area. As a result of the shooting attack, an Israeli citizen was killed, and another citizen was wounded. IDF launched a manhunt for the terrorists, blocked roads, and conducted extensive searches in the area."