3 injured in drive-by shooting attack in southern West Bank

Israeli soldiers are seen near the scene of a shooting attack at Tekoa Junction, south of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, July 16, 2023. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, July 16 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian gunman opened fire from a passing vehicle at an Israeli family outside a settlement in the occupied southern West Bank on Sunday, injuring a man and his two daughters.

The 35-year-old man sustained critical injuries and the two girls, aged 14 and 9, were lightly wounded by shrapnel, Israel's Magen David Adom emergency medical service said in a statement.

The incident occurred at the Tekoa Junction, south of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, according to an Israeli military statement.

Israeli soldiers are seen near the scene of a shooting attack at Tekoa Junction, south of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, July 16, 2023. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua)

The troops launched a manhunt after the assailant fled the scene, said the statement.

The incident was the latest in a relentless cycle of violence that has gripped the region. The Israeli army has been carrying out daily raids in the West Bank towns and villages, triggering clashes with the Palestinians. The army said they were there to arrest militants involved in carrying out attacks against Israel.

Since January, 26 people, most of them Israelis, have been killed in a series of attacks carried out by Palestinians, while more than 190 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers, according to official figures.