Israeli civilian killed in West Bank terror attack, IDF launches manhunt

Gideon Peri, 38, was killed in a terrorist attack on Sunday in the West Bank at the Bar-On industrial zone in the northern West Bank. He was brought in critical condition by military vehicle to Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus in Petah Tikva, where medical staff later pronounced him dead. He was married and had three children.

No Palestinian group has so far claimed responsibility.

The attacker, Palestinian Sultan Nadel Abd Alaziz Abd Alghani, in his 20s, hit the guard’s head with a hammer, stole his weapon, and drove off in a stolen car. Since the attack, security forces have been searching for him in the surrounding areas; by press time, he had not been apprehended. He had a work permit in the field of woodworking.

The industrial zone employs both Israelis and Palestinians, the latter of whom work under supervision.

Peri was from the settlement of Kedumim. Earlier, when the attack happened, residents were told to shelter in place.

In response to the incident, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said, "I share the grief of the Peri family by a terrorist in the Braun industrial zone near Kedumim. Our fight is against a cruel enemy on several fronts, and we must prevail on each one of them."

Following a situation assessment at the scene on Monday overnight, IDF Central Command Chief Major General Avi Blot stated, "This is a very severe attack," he said. "I met with the commanders and the head of the Kedumim Council at the scene, and I want to extend my condolences to the Peri family and share in their grief. We are pursuing the despicable terrorist and will hold him accountable soon. At the same time, we will conduct a thorough investigation to learn from this and try to prevent similar incidents in the future."

Additionally, many IDF forces, including special units, are operating in the area, performing blockades, and continuing the pursuit of the terrorist.

'The Intifada is here'

Samaria Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan pointed the blame at the Palestinian Authority. “We must reinforce deterrence. This terrorist attack could not have happened without the incitement and terror funded by the Palestinian Authority. This man [the attacker] will receive [from the PA] a hefty lifetime sum for what he did. This will come from Abu Mazen [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas], another terrorist in a suit, the Siamese twin of Hamas. And, the day he is released from prison, he will receive a pension equivalent to that of a general in the ‘Palestinian police,’ the same one that says it fights terror in the spirit of the Oslo agreements.”

He continued, “It is time for the government to wake up and realize who our enemies are, who we are up against.”

Kedumim Regional Council Head Ozel Vatik said that at the site of the attack, he “demanded” an urgent meeting with all the relevant security forces on joint economic spaces with Palestinians. “It cannot be,” he said, “that a worker who received a permit and approval by security forces, managed to get into the space, carry out a terrorist attack, and succeed in escaping.”

He continued, “The Intifada is here – we won’t allow for the spillage of more Jewish blood.”

The latest attack comes as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on a Middle East tour aimed at intensifying diplomatic pressure to achieve a Gaza ceasefire. It also comes at a time of near-exploding tensions in the West Bank, at a rise since October 7.

Just last week, there were two shooting attacks; one in Kalkilya and one in the Jordan Valley. Over the weekend, a Jewish mob launched a massive attack on the Palestinian town of Jit; one Palestinian man was killed during the attack.

Reuters contributed to this report. 

This is a developing story.