Israeli troops killed a Palestinian gunman on Tuesday during an exchange of fire near the town of Halhul, just north of Hebron, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
The shooter, identified by Palestinian media as Hamdi Abu Dia, 40, a member of the Palestinian Authority security services, had opened fire on the soldiers, the IDF said in a statement.
No Israeli casualties were reported.
כוחות צה"ל ניטרלו מחבל שעל פי החשד ביצע שני פיגועי ירי ב-48 השעות האחרונות.
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) January 17, 2023
התקבל דיווח לפני זמן קצר על ירי לעבר כוח צה"ל ששהה בפעילות יזומה סמוך לעיירה חלחול שבמרחב חטיבת עציון. המחבל ירה לעבר הכוחות שהגיבו בירי ונטרלו אותו >> pic.twitter.com/B3JuQsLFgQ
Abu Dia published a will online prior to Tuesday’s attack, in which he states that he is sacrificing in the name of Islam, according to Palestinian media reports.
Reports said that he published a will online before Tuesday’s attack, in which he said he was sacrificing in the name of Islam.
مراسلنا: الشهيد حمدي أبو دية من حلحول ونفذ عملية اطلاق نار قرب بلدته وهو يعمل في جهاز الشرطة. pic.twitter.com/MNWIWcjtpA
— Jmedia (@Jmediaps) January 17, 2023
According to the IDF, Abu Dia was likely responsible for two shootings over the past 48 hours, including Sunday’s targeting of a bus carrying Israelis along the Route 60 highway in Judea.
Nobody was injured in the incident, although the bulletproof vehicle sustained damage.
That attack came just hours after two Palestinian terrorists were killed while carrying out a drive-by shooting against soldiers near Jaba, five miles southwest of Jenin in Samaria.
