Five Jews traveled to Kever Yosef in Shechem in a private car overnight Monday and came under gunfire by terrorists near the kever. Two were injured, one severely and one moderately.

The passengers did not coordinate their visit with the IDF.

In the wake of the gunfire, the five passengers, two from Modiin Ilit and three from Jerusalem, abandoned their car, fled the scene, and hid on a nearby road. Their car was later set on fire by Arabs.

IDF forces entered Shechem to rescue them and took them to a nearby checkpoint, where the 17-year-old severely injured victim was evacuated via military helicopter to Sheba Hospital in Tel HaShomer. The moderately wounded civilian was evacuated by a mobile intensive care unit to Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah.

The three uninjured passengers were taken for questioning to the police station as independently entering Shechem, which is part of Area A – under the full authority of the PA – is forbidden by Israeli law.

At the same time, IDF forces entered Shechem and began carrying out searches for suspects.

The head of the Shomron Regional Council Yossi Dagan, said: “Another barbaric terror incident from the Palestinian Authority, which due to its incitement and encouragement of terrorism, is responsible for this barbaric murder attempt.”

“I am again calling – in the name of the Rabbanim of the Shomron – to enter Kever Yosef only in coordination with the IDF. There are arranged and coordinated tefillos at the kever every month. Unfortunately, every uncoordinated entry is sakanot nefashot. I call on the IDF to capture the terrorists and eradicate the killers’ dens in Shechem. Only the IDF’s full control of Kever Yosef can maintain the safety of mispallelim in Shechem.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)