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Hamas supporters in Gaza hail West Bank attack

Reuters
Palestine, Yeruham, IsraelUpdated: Mar 17, 2019, 11:20 PM IST
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File photo. Photograph:(Getty)

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A Palestinian stabbed the Israeli soldier to death and used his rifle to wound another soldier and a Jewish settler before escaping, Israeli officials said

Hamas supporters handed out sweets to passersby and others marched on Sunday (March 17) hailing a lethal attack that killed an Israeli soldier in the occupied West Bank earlier in the day.

A Palestinian stabbed the Israeli soldier to death and used his rifle to wound another soldier and a Jewish settler before escaping, Israeli officials said.

The incident began at an intersection near Ariel, a large settlement, where the Palestinian, having carried out the stabbing and grabbed the slain soldier's gun, fired at three vehicles, hitting a civilian, the Israeli military said.

He then hijacked a car, driving it to another nearby junction where he shot a second soldier before continuing on to a nearby Palestinian village.

It was not immediately clear if more than one assailant was involved. Settler officials identified the wounded civilian as a local rabbi. Hospital officials said he was in critical condition.

The Islamist group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, praised the attack.