Israeli security forces launched a massive manhunt Sunday for Ashraf Walid Suleiman Naalwa, 23, identified as the terrorist who shot and killed two Israelis and wounded a third in the Barkan Industrial Park in Samaria.
IDF, Shin Bet Security agency and police counterterrorism forces, assisted by aerial support as well as military and police K-9 units, were canvassing the Jenin, Tulkarem and Nablus areas in search of Naalwa, Channel 12 reported Monday.
Naalwa, a former employee of the Alon Group in the Barkan Industrial Park, near the city of Ariel, entered the company's offices armed with an automatic rifle early Sunday. Inside, he handcuffed Kim Levengrond Yehezkel, 28, to a chair and shot her at close range, killing her. He then walked over to the adjacent cubicle and shot Sara Vaturi, 54, in the abdomen, moderately wounding her, and then shot and killed Ziv Hajbi, 35, before fleeing.
IDF and Shin Bet forces raided Naalwa's home in the West Bank village of Shawika, north of Tulkarem, on Sunday and arrested several suspected accomplices, including his brother and sister.
"IDF troops raided the terrorist's home in the village of Shawika, which is under the Menashe Regional Brigade's jurisdiction, and arrested and interrogated several people suspected of assisting the terrorist," the IDF said in a statement.
The family home was also mapped ahead of its future demolition, the IDF said.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassim praised the attack, saying, "Hamas welcomes the guerrilla operation which took place this morning [Sunday]. This operation affirms that the rebelling young people in the West Bank are keeping the resistance as an option and are fighting the [Israeli] occupation and the settlers."
Qassim said the attack "comes as a reaction to their [Israel's] crimes against our sacred sites and the demolishing of Palestinian villages. It sends a great message from the rebelling people in the West Bank to their rebelling brothers in the Gaza Strip that we are one nation and we face the same destiny."
Islamic Jihad spokesman Daoud Shehab also praised the attack, saying, "The shooting at the factory in Samaria is a response to Israel's crimes in Gaza and Jerusalem and a response to the harm it brings to Al-Aqsa mosque. We call on the Palestinian people to rise up against settlement terrorism until they are all evicted and the West Bank will be liberated from settlements and settlers."
