Maariv: 10 Israeli soldiers failed to confront one Palestinian gunman

The Israeli newspaper Maariv Online yesterday published parts of an investigation into the attack carried out by a Palestinian gunman at a military checkpoint in the northern occupied West Bank a day earlier. Two Israeli occupation soldiers were killed and eight others injured in the attack.

The newspaper raised several questions regarding the incident, including how ten soldiers stationed at the checkpoint failed to repel an attack by a single armed assailant. It also questioned their inability to detect his movements towards the checkpoint before the attack.

Another key concern was why the army has so far been unable to determine the attacker’s identity. The report attributed this to the condition of the body after the assailant was hit by a grenade and heavy gunfire. He was executed with multiple shots to the head, making identification difficult. The attacker was not carrying any form of identification, and no Palestinian group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

According to the report, the gunman managed to seize the weapon of one of the wounded soldiers and used it during the prolonged exchange of fire, which lasted several minutes.

Initial assessments suggest that the attacker arrived at the scene in a vehicle. Authorities examined vehicles in the area to determine whether he used one of them or if someone assisted him in reaching the location.

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