Three Israelis, two women and one man, were murdered and eight others were wounded today in a terror attack on Route 55 near Kedumim.
By Rachel Avraham
Three Israelis, two women and one man, were murdered and eight others were wounded today in a terror attack on Route 55 near Kedumim, when terrorists opened fire on a civilian bus and a car that were passing by the area. According to various reports in the media, the terrorist fled the scene of the crime and the Israeli Security Forces are presently apprehending them.
An eye-witness Ami Berber, who is a civilian, told IDF radio, “I opened my window of my car while stuck in traffic and heard gunshots. I then saw that two terrorists fired at a bus. They were outside of their car. There was a third terrorist, who was driving a car. However, I saw only two. I saw that one of the terrorists was firing at the driver of the bus. The other terrorist was firing at the windows of the bus. I then fired at them. There was no one else with a weapon who was firing at them. The terrorists then fled in the direction of Kedumim.”
The IDF Spokesperson’s Office reported: “Following the initial report, terrorists fired at a bus and civilian vehicles near Al-Funduq in the Ephraim Brigade territory. Several civilians were injured in various ways and are currently receiving medical treatment. Security forces have launched a pursuit of the terrorists and are carrying out roadblocks and cordoning off several villages in the area.”
First responder Avichai Ben Zruya told Israel Hayom that the emergency services found multiple casualties across several locations: “We discovered two women unresponsive in their vehicle with gunshot wounds. Another victim, an unconscious male driver, was found in a separate vehicle. Despite immediate medical intervention, their injuries proved fatal.”
United Hatzalah EMTs Haim Kreif and Daniel Eshel told the Jewish Press: “Tragically, two women in their 70s and a man, who were in the vehicles that were struck by gunfire, were pronounced dead at the scene. Additionally, with assistance from United Hatzalah ambulance teams and medics from nearby towns, we provided initial medical treatment to passengers from a bus that was also hit in the attack.”
Israel’s Channel 2 News reported that the slain included 35-year-old Sergeant Elad Ya’akov Winklestein; 73-year-old Rachel Cohen; and 70-year-old Aliza Rize. The son of the late Elad reportedly sat in the car and saw his father murdered before his eyes. Sergeant Elad Ya’akov Winklestein was a policeman who worked for the Ariel Police Station in Samaria and was the father of three children. The late Rachel Cohen was an educational consultant until she retired. She left behind a husband and five daughters. Also the late Aliza Rize worked as an educational consultant, supervising children and families. She is survived by her husband and children.
The Jerusalem Post reported that the wounded included a 63-year-old bus driver, who sustained serious wounds, a woman in her 60’s in moderate condition, and six other people with light wounds. They were reportedly transferred to the Rabin Medical Center in Petach Tikva and the Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba to get further treatment.
IDF Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi arrived at the scene of the crime and proclaimed, “This is a severe attack – two [female] civilians and a police officer were killed. I extend my deepest condolences to the families. We are engaged in intense and wide-ranging combat against terrorism in Judea and Samaria. We will intensify and continue this combat. For the terrorists who carried out this attack, the clock is ticking. We will find out who perpetrated this attack and reach them. We will act swiftly to bypass the town on this route and make the route safer.”
