Hundreds of soldiers and officers on Friday continued the manhunt for the terrorists responsible for the deadly West Bank shooting hours earlier, in which one Israeli man was killed and two others were wounded.
According to the IDF Spokesperson Unit, the military already arrested several Palestinians suspected of having ties to the terrorists who murdered Yehuda Dimantman, 22, when the car he was in was ambushed near the illegal West Bank outpost of Homesh.
“Security forces, the IDF, the Shin Bet, the Police and other forces are working on intelligence in the pursuit of the killers. We will see them caught,” said IDF Central Command’s chief, Major-General Yehuda Fuchs.
“We are responsible for the [people’s] protection and we will do everything we can to provide that protection to the residents in the area and catch the killers and terrorists who carried out this attack,” he added.
The attack itself took place Thursday evening, when Dimantman, - a yeshiva student and father of one - and two of his friends were fired upon as they left the Homesh outpost to the nearby settlement of Shavei Shomron where they lived.
Officials said the attack was probably planned in advance and perpetrated by more than one person.
Dimantman succumbed to gunshot wounds while being rushed to hospital, Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency services said.
"We drove out of Homesh, when suddenly we heard shots," said 22-year-old Avia Antman, who was in the car with the victim.
"I felt something hit my left arm and yelled at the driver to go faster. Someone in the back [Diamantan] yelled that he was hit in the neck," added Antman.
"We were not afraid of a shooting and did not think it would happen... In our last conversation he came to me so happy and said ‘today I won’, and when I asked him what happened, he said that his wife had asked him to take care of their kid. He was just so happy about that."
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Avia Antman, who was in the car with the victim, being consoled by relatives at the hospital
(Photo: Yuval Chen)
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was updated on the attack shortly after it took place.
"Together with all the people of Israel, I send heartfelt condolences to the family of the murdered in the deadly attack that took place tonight, and wish a speedy recovery to the wounded," said Bennett on Twitter. "Security forces will soon get their hands on the terrorists. Justice will be served."