Hamas terrorists open fire at Israeli village in broad daylight as West Bank terror intensifies

Terrorist filmed themselves shooting at civilian homes

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Several Hamas terrorists opened fire at the Israeli village of Bat Hefer from the West Bank, causing damage but no casualties, the IDF and Hamas stated on Wednesday.

The terror group later released footage of the attack on social media, showing terrorists driving toward Bat Hefer from the nearby city of Tulkarm in Samaria while wearing Hamas’ trademark green headbands.

After three terrorists exited the car, the footage shows the village, about nine miles east of Netanya, before the three started shooting toward Bat Hefer.

IDF troops later scanned the area and continued efforts to locate the terrorists.

התופעה הזו התחילה בשכם לעבר ישובי השומרון, נמשכה לג'נין מול ישובי הגלבוע ומתרחבת כעת לטול כרם מול ישובי השרון:
חמאס משלם 500-1500 שקלים לכל מחבל שיצליח לצלם עצמו, ללא הפרעה, פותח באש לעבר ישוב ישראלי, בורח ודואג להפצת הסרטון pic.twitter.com/2cSCyQPlze
— יואב זיתון (@yoavzitun) May 29, 2024

Later in the day, suspicion arose that a similar attack had been carried out in the village of Gan Ner, which, like Bat Hefer, is also located near the separation barrier between Israel and the West Bank.

Residents alerted the IDF after hearing shots, and troops later found bullets in the area.

Ynet News military correspondent Yoav Zitun warned that the video release was the latest iteration of a worrying trend of social media being used for terror.

“This phenomenon started in Nablus towards the Samaria settlements, continued to Jenin opposite the Gilboa settlements and is now expanding to Tulkarm opposite the Sharon settlements: Hamas pays 500-1500 shekels to any terrorist who manages to film himself, without interference, opens fire on an Israeli settlement, escapes and makes sure the video is distributed,” he wrote on 𝕏.

“Life in the Tulkarm area has become scary after October 7,” a resident told N12 News.

“The IDF is operating in the city, but terrorism shows no signs that it cares. At the beginning of the month, standards were cut in the preparatory classes in settlements near the fence. Some residents are hysterical, we did not receive satisfactory answers from the state,” he said.

Emek Hefer Regional Council head Galit Shaul warned Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in a letter.

“We have been warning for weeks about the escalation in the seam line area, and unfortunately the situation continues to deteriorate,” Shaul wrote. “We call on the army and the state to wake up and act with determination and zero tolerance in the face of the serious events in the sector.”

“It is not possible that in broad daylight Palestinians cross the fence unhindered,” he wrote, referring to an incident days before when dozens of Palestinians were seen crossing the security barrier in the area, most likely seeking illegal work in Israel.

“It is not possible that our settlements are being shot at again and again. Necessary steps must be taken immediately before it is too late. We need to add large security and military forces to the area on a regular basis, add measures to the existing obstacle east of the wall and above all, establish a buffer zone beyond the wall that will prevent approaching the seam line,” Shaul demanded.

“In recent months, the IDF, together with the Shin Bet and the police, thwarted hundreds of terrorists and terror squads who fired at Israeli settlements, some of them also from the Tulkarm area,” a security source told Army Radio.

“Some of the countermeasures are carried out through ambushes deployed in the field, some by the intense offensive activity we do, and some in countermeasures from the air. We work 24/7 around the clock in defensive and offensive activity to thwart these events before they even happen, but unfortunately, there is no 100%.”

“Today’s shooting by the terrorists was carried out from a distance and after many scans currently no injuries were found. We will track, pursue and reach those terrorists sooner or later,” the source stated.