A 53-year-old Israeli Jewish man was shot and wounded in the village of el-Funduk in Samaria on Monday. He was taken to a clinic in the nearby town of Kedumim and from there to a hospital, where he is in moderate condition.
The victim was identified by Nrg as a resident of Shavei Shomron. The victim, a construction contractor, stopped at the side of the road near the village of el-Funduk in order to discuss business with local Arabs, police said.
According to police, the victim was shot when a group of Arab men approached him and attempted to steal his vehicle. The thieves shot the victim in his stomach and leg and escaped.
Soldiers set up checkpoints in the area, but did not catch the attackers. A group of soldiers reported seeing a vehicle believed to be that of the shooters near the Tapuach Junction.
Following the incident, IDF officials warned Israeli citizens not to enter villages or cities controlled by the Palestinian Authority. Areas controlled by the PA are known as “Area A,” which Israelis are forbidden by law to enter.
While police classified the incident as criminal, local residents were not convinced, and some suspect the shooters were motivated by anti-Israel hate as well. A local Jewish committee responded to the shooting, saying, “The terrorist attack in Samaria is a direct consequence of the media and government's disregard for human life and incitement against Jewish residents of Samaria.”
The media and senior politicians “gave terrorists a green light to continue their terrorism,” the group continued. “Whoever sows hate for his Jewish brothers is responsible when they are injured.”
The site of Monday's shooting was the site of previous attacks on local Jews as well. One year earlier, Shavei Shomron resident Ido Zoldan, 29, was shot and murdered on a road near el-Funduk. Zoldan was survived by his wife and two young children. His killers were captured, and were discovered to be members of the Palestinian Authority security forces.
More than two years ago, Doctor Danny Ya'akovi of Yakir was murdered and his body burnt by terrorists from el-Funduk. Ya'akovi was killed after entering the village to have his car repaired. Members of the Fatah-linked Al Aksa Martyrs' Brigades claimed responsibility for the killing.