Israeli authorities confirmed that Malluh did not receive protection from PA security forces.
An Israeli settler was killed and at least three others were injured on Wednesday night in a shooting operation targeting a bus near the Al-Khader checkpoint, south of Jerusalem.
According to the Israeli army, a gunman opened fire on the bus and fled the scene.
In response, Israeli forces initiated a manhunt, setting up roadblocks and imposing heightened security measures in the Bethlehem area of the southern West Bank.
Al-Jazeera reported that Israeli forces enforced a tight security cordon around Bethlehem, closing its entrances and raiding the town of Al-Khader as part of the search efforts.
The Israeli army, Shin Bet, and police said in a statement that their actions were part of “military pressure in the area,” which included encircling Bethlehem.
Scenes from inside the bus that was targeted near the Al-Khader checkpoint, south of Jerusalem, on Wednesday night. pic.twitter.com/Vg7WGredmK
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 12, 2024
The alleged perpetrator, later identified as Izz ad-Din Malluh, a Palestinian security officer from the town of Bayt Awa near Hebron (Al-Khalil), eventually surrendered to Palestinian security services.
Reports indicate he initially attempted to turn himself in at a Palestinian Authority police station, where his weapon was confiscated, but he was refused entry.
Israeli authorities confirmed that Malluh did not receive protection from PA security forces.
The Israeli ambulance service reported that four individuals were evacuated from the scene, including one who was critically injured by gunfire.
He was transported to a hospital in Jerusalem but later died from his wounds.
Israeli media noted that 22 bullets were fired during the attack.
The incident occurred shortly after three Jewish settlers were lightly injured by gunfire the previous night while visiting Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus.
It also followed a car-ramming attack in the southern West Bank over the weekend that left an Israeli soldier seriously injured.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
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