Five people were injured, one seriously, in a shooting attack on a bus that was traveling on Highway 90 in the Jordan Valley on Sunday afternoon. At least five others are reported to have sustained light to moderate wounds.
Responding to the incident, Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that he "wishes a speedy recovery to those injured. Our security forces immediately chased after the suspects and succeeded in apprehending them in a quick and professional manner. We will continue to enhance our focused activities against terrorism in Judea and Samaria."
MK Bezalel Smotrich, head of the Religious Zionism party, was scathing in his condemnation of the current government which he blamed for the incident. "We cannot continue like this," Smotrich said. "The number of stoning incidents, firebombings, and shootings in Judea and Samaria is climbing to new heights - but these are not statistics. They are human lives.
"The first task of any government is to provide security for its citizens," he added. "This Israeli government headed by a failed Defense Minister like Gantz is abandoning the security of Israeli citizens."
Smotrich added that, "I convey my support to our security forces and my best wishes for a speedy recovery to those injured. I also make my promise that in the next government, we will place the security of Israeli citizens at the head of our list of priorities, along with Iran and its proxies which are growing in strength in Judea and Samaria."
MK Avi Maoz, head of the Noam party, noted that, "Again and again, we are witness to the fact that if we do not eliminate terrorism, it will attack us over and over again. If we simply absorb rock attacks, we get shooting attacks. Only a nationalist and Jewish government will get rid of terrorism."
MK Michal Waldiger (Religious Zionism) stated, "This shocking shooting attack on Highway 90 targeted a bus of innocent citizens. I wish all those injured a speedy recovery and I salute our security forces for so swiftly locating the perpetrators. Woe is to us if Jews must go about in fear in our own homeland. What we need is governance, governance, and once again governance."
Also responding to the shooting incident was Otzma Yehudit head MK Itamar Ben Gvir, who said, "Another murderous attack, supported by Abu Mazen [PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas] and his best friend, Defense Minister Gantz. In order to combat terrorism, we need a system that brooks no compromises. Once again it has been proven that when we fail to show a strong hand against terrorism, they strike us again and again. I wish and pray for a speedy recovery for all those wounded."
MK Orit Strock (Religious Zionism) added that, "It was only a matter of time before we had a shooting attack that claimed victims. Our Defense Minister is content to see terrorism flourishing in Judea and Samaria at the same time as terrorist organizations brazenly stock their munitions storehouses and raise funds, and the Palestinian Authority continues to receive money that goes to pay terrorists' salaries - from the Israeli government. What else could result from such behavior? We pray for the recovery of the wounded and for the replacement of the Defense Minister."
Tzvi Sukkot, a candidate for the Religious Zionism party in the coming elections, commented, "The writing was and remains written on a thousand walls. In recent months, Judea and Samaria have become places where every single day, there is at least one shooting attack. The response of the defense establishment serves only to embolden Abu Mazen - all we are doing is using forceps to extract known shooters when there are thousands of weapons in the streets. We are fed up with the situation."