Israeli authorities say the driver killed by a suspected Palestinian gunman in the occupied West Bank had citizenship in both the United States and Israel.
JERUSALEM — Israeli authorities said on Tuesday that a motorcyclist shot dead by a suspected Palestinian gunman in the occupied West Bank was of both American and Israeli citizenship. It was the latest in a string of bloody violent attacks that have rocked the region.
The government identified the man killed as Elan Ganeles, 27, of West Hartford, Conn. A friend told local media that he had been in Israel for a wedding and was driving on the highway near the Dead Sea when he was shot. The attackers are still the third largest.
Ganeles was the only fatality in what the military said was a multi-site shooting a day earlier. The military said the attackers opened fire on an Israeli car near the Palestinian city of Jericho, hitting Ganeles. The military said the attackers traveled in a vehicle, then drove further away and opened fire again. The attackers burned their own cars and fled, starting a manhunt.
Ganeles died later at Hadassah Medical Center, the hospital said. He will be buried on Wednesday in the city of Raanana, central Israel. Israeli President Isaac Herzog offered condolences to the Ganeles family.
Ganeles’ murder came a day after two Israelis were killed by a Palestinian gunman in the northern West Bank, sparking a rampage in which Israeli settlers burned dozens of cars and homes. in a Palestinian town and a Palestinian was killed. It was the worst violence in decades.
So far, 62 Palestinians, about half of whom are affiliated with armed groups, have been killed by Israeli troops and civilians. During the same period, 14 Israelis, all but one civilian, were killed in Palestinian attacks.
