A 12-year-old boy succumbed to his wounds Thursday following a shooting attack on a bus near the Beitar checkpoint in Judea and Samaria.
Yehoshua Aharon Tuvia Simha and his family were returning from a family celebration when they found themselves caught in gunfire from an attacker who fled the scene. Security forces launched a manhunt for the gunman who fled toward Bethlehem, setting up roadblocks in the area. The terrorist later gave himself up to the authorities.
The attacker fired 22 bullets at the bus Wednesday evening. Two others, men aged 25 and 40, were lightly wounded by shrapnel, and another woman was evacuated in moderate condition.
Beitar Illit Mayor Meir Rubinstein, who rushed to the scene, thanked security forces and demanded increased security measures for residents on the roads, particularly during traffic congestion at the checkpoint. The city's welfare department immediately began providing support to the families of the victims.
