Israeli forces raid West Bank shooting suspect's hometown, besiege mosque

Israeli forces raid West Bank shooting suspect's hometown, besiege mosque

A large Israeli force raided Biddu, the hometown of the Palestinian accused of carrying out the shooting at the illegal Neveh Tzuf settlement north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, according to an Al Jazeera report.

Israeli soldiers also besieged worshippers at a mosque during afternoon prayers.

Israel Army Radio identified the shooting suspect as a 37-year-old “Hamas activist” from Biddu who reportedly scouted the site a day earlier before opening fire alone and fleeing the scene.

The suspect had been arrested following a pursuit, apprehended by soldiers after he fled to a hospital near the attack site, Israeli military said.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the attack was the first case meeting the criteria for Israel's "death penalty law for terrorists," calling the sentence "mandatory" since the alleged perpetrator survived, a law passed by parliament that applies only to Palestinians and has drawn international criticism.

Separately, on Sunday, Israeli settlers stoned Palestinian vehicles near a roundabout in a settlement south of Bethlehem, injuring a Palestinian and damaging a car, according to Wafa news agency.