Shooting attack of Orthodox Jewish religious kibbutz targets Israeli homes

Palestinian attackers shot across the ‘green line’ security fence into Ma’ale Gilboa, internationally recognized as Israeli terrority

Palestinian terrorists shot past the security barrier at Israeli homes in a religious kibbutz on the northeast end of the Samarian hills in the West Bank last night.

The shooting attack, claimed jointly by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist group and a faction of the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, targeted Kibbutz Ma’ale Gilboa, internationally recognized as Israeli territory.

“Terrorism in Samaria, Gush Etzion, Elad and Tel Aviv is the same terrorism which threatens the entire State of Israel. Whoever draws an imaginary line … and thinks the problems in Judea and Samaria only apply there, doesn’t understand that the terrorists seek to destroy all of Israel,” said Shlomo Ne’eman, head of both the local Yesha and Gush Etzion regional councils, in response to the attack.

The Israel Defense Forces reported that bullet holes were found in several houses, although no one was injured in the shooting. IDF personnel are searching for the shooter, but no arrests have been announced at time of publication.

Kibbutz Ma’ale Gilboa is located in Israeli territory, near Bet Shean, within close proximity to the security fence separating Israeli territory from the disputed territories of Judea and Samaria.

The kibbutz is located approximately 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from Jenin, where PIJ has been very active over the last year.

The terror group published footage of the attack on Monday evening, claiming that it was an attack on Meirav, a kibbutz located within disputed territory. However, the IDF said that bullet holes were only found in houses in Ma’ale Gilboa, inside Israeli territory.

Ma’ale Gilboa’s chief security officer spoke with Army Radio earlier this morning about the attack.

“We heard gunfire sounds and I immediately jumped into the security vehicle toward the area that was shot at,” he said, confirming that they were able to see the attacker’s vehicle fleeing the scene.

Shootings at sites located within in the disputed territories, where terrorists have easier access, are more common, but shootings across the security fence are more rare.

Ma’ale Gilboa was found in 1963 at the site of Mount Gilboa where, according to 1 Samuel 31, King Saul and his sons died fighting the Philistines.