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Site of the shooting near West Bank settlement of Ofra, December 9, 2018. Credit: AMMAR AWAD/Reuters Published by Haaretz
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Seriously wounded pregnant woman stabilized overnight, baby's condition deteriorated ■ Two men in their 20s moderately wounded, four 16-year-olds lightly wounded ■ Manhunt underway

by Yotam Berger, Aaron Rabinowitz, Yaniv Kubovich, Jack Khoury and Jonathan Lis for Haaretz
Dec 10, 2018 9:09 AM

Seven people were wounded in a drive-by shooting attack near the settlement of Ofra in the West Bank on Sunday evening. Security forces have launched a manhunt for the assailants.

One of those wounded was a 21-year-old pregnant woman who was in serious condition after sustaining wounds to her upper body. She was evacuated to Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem, where doctors delivered her baby prematurely. On Monday morning, the hospital's director said the woman's condition stabilized during the night, while the baby's condition worsened and was now in critical condition.

The rest of the victims were also evacuated to a number of hospitals in Jerusalem, including a 21-year-old man who sustained moderate wounds to his lower limbs and a 22-year-old man was also moderately wounded. The other victims are two 16-year-old girls and two 16-year-old boys, all of whom sustained light wounds.

According to people in the settlement, the 21-year-old woman was waiting for a ride together with her husband, who was also wounded and is in moderate condition. The two live in the area, but not in Ofra.
The Israel Defense Forces said the shooting was conducted from a moving vehicle and targeted civilians trying to catch a ride from the nearby junction. According to rescue services, the shooting targeted a group of people located near the entrance to the town.

An IDF force stationed nearby fired at the vehicle before the driver fled the scene. Footage from the scene shows a white vehicle slowing down near the hitchiking stop and stopping briefly. After shots are fired from the vehicle, IDF soldiers shoot at the car, which then continued north on Route 60.

The IDF said it is searching for the shooter in the nearby village of Silwad and has set up checkpoints. Palestinian residents reported that large military forces entered Silwad, which is east of Ramallah, and have raided a house. Residents also reported that the IDF is searching in the nearby village of Ein Yabrud, just west of Ofra. The troops collected security cameras located in the village.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the attack in a video clip on his official Facebook page: “Everyone is praying for the wellbeing of the young woman who is fighting for her life – her baby was saved, and we are also wishing a speedy recovery to all the wounded. We will not rest until we find these murderous criminals and bring them to justice.” Sara Netanyahu, the prime minister’s wife, also wished the victims a speedy and full recovery in the video.

President Reuven Rivlin said on Monday morning: “We are praying with great concern for the recovery of the wounded in the criminal terrorist attack, and among them the young mother who brought life to the world out of the horror.” Rivlin wished the victims a quick recovery and praised “all the security forces who are chasing down the terrorists relentlessly.”

Hamas praised the terrorist attack late on Sunday: “Despite all the attempts to uproot the resistance to the occupation, the action on [Sunday] evening proves that the principle of resistance is still alive and beating,” said the organization.

U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East peace process, Jason Greenblatt, slammed the attack as "absolutely disgusting" and criticized the United Nations for failing to pass a resolution condemning Hamas last Thursday.

".@UN this is what you defended last week when you failed to condemn Hamas. Hamas praises yet another terror attack. You had the ability to help fight against terror. Is this what the UN wants its legacy to be?" Greenblatt tweeted late on Sunday.
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Seven Israeli Colonialist Settlers Injured In West Bank Shooting

by IMEMC News

Israeli sources have reported that, on Sunday evening, seven settlers were injured, including a pregnant woman who was seriously wounded, in a shooting attack near the illegal colony of Ofra, which was built on Palestinian lands near Ramallah, in central West Bank.

Israeli daily Haaretz said a pregnant woman, 21, suffered a serious injury, and added that two young men, in their twenties, and four teenagers, 16 years of age, suffered mild wounds.

The pregnant woman was shot in the upper body, and was rushed to Hadassah Ein Karem University Hospital, in occupied Jerusalem.

Physicians at the medical center delivered the baby, who was premature, but is a good condition.

The injured woman, and her husband, who was also injured, were waiting for a bus; Haaretz said the two are settlers who live in the area, but not in Ofra colony.

It added that the attack was carried out in a drive-by shooting near Ofra, and that the army initiated extensive searches and operations in the area, in an attempt to locate the shooter.

The rest of the wounded settlers who rushed to a number of hospitals, including the young man, 21, who suffered moderate injuries to his lower limbs, while two females, and two males, all sixteen years of age, suffered light wounds.

According to the Israeli army, the shooting took place from a speeding vehicle, and that the shooter targeted six persons near the entrance of Ofra colony.

The army stated that its soldiers, stationed near the scene,fired several live rounds at the car, but the driver managed to escape, apparently unharmed.

Back in October of this year, two Israelis were killed, and one was injured, in a shooting attack in the Industrial Zone of Barkan illegal colony in West Bank, and the army is still trying to locate the suspected shooter, Ashraf Na’alwa.

The army repeatedly abducted and interrogated his family and friends, in addition to ongoing invasions and violent searches of their homes and property. In mid-October, the army handed Ashraf’s parents a military order for the demolition of their home.