Israel arrests Palestinians suspected of aiding shooting attack at Tapuah Junction
Suspects taken in for questioning by Shin Bet following predawn operation
Israeli security forces entered a West Bank village during a predawn operation Tuesday and arrested several Palestinians suspected of aiding Sunday's drive-by shooting at Tupuah Junction that wounded three 19-year-old Israeli Yeshiva students.
The suspects were taken in for questioning by the Shin Bet (ISA) internal security service.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), ISA and Yamam, the Israel Police's counter-terrorism unit, were all involved in the operational activity to apprehend the suspects, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said in a statement.
"IDF troops apprehended a number of suspects in the Judea and Samaria region. In addition, the vehicle suspected of being used by the terrorists to carry out the terror attack was confiscated. The suspects and the vehicle were transferred to security forces," the IDF said.
On Monday, Israeli forces found the vehicle suspected of being used in the attack. The vehicle was located near the West Bank village of Akraba. Upon arrival the soldiers clashed with local Palestinians who managed to set fire to the vehicle before it was seized by the IDF.
The search is continuing for the shooter, who according to Channel 12 is a Hamas member from Akraba.
Two of the three victims remain hospitalized at Rabin Medical Center – Beilinson Campus at Petah Tikva. Yehuda Guetta of Jerusalem, was still in critical condition with a head wound as of Tuesday morning; Benaya Peretz from Beit She’an, was in serious condition with a back wound; the third victim, Amichai Hala from Safed, was released from the hospital.