An Israeli medical source reported that a fourth Palestinian resident died of wounds sustained after an extremist settler opened fire at Palestinian workers in the industrial area of the northern west Bank settlement of Shilo.
The resident died of his wounds at Hadassah University Hospital in Ein Karem – Jerusalem, while a fifth resident is still in a critical condition.
The terrorist Asher Weisgan, a 38-year-old driver from Shvut Rahel settlement, in the West Bank used to transport the workers to and from the industrial zone on daily basis.
On Wednesday afternoon, he was driving the workers home, and stopped on the way out to ask a security guard for a cup of water, and then he grabbed the gun of the security guard and fired at the workers.
Senior army officials said that they expect prominent rabbis in the West Bank to issue a clear statement condemning the attack.
Settler terror hits again; three Palestinians killed, four injured
Saed Bannoura – IMEMC & Agencies
An Israeli extremist killed three Palestinians and seriously wounded four others on Wednesday afternoon, when he opened fire at a group of Palestinian workers in the industrial zone of the West Bank settlement of Shiloh east of Jerusalem, Israeli military sources reported.
According to initial reports, the settler apparently snatched the weapon of a security guard in the settlement and shot the workers; the settler was apprehended by the Israeli security.
“The settler abducted the weapon from a guard and killed two Palestinians at a carâ€Â, a security guard told the Israeli radio, “then he went back to the guard, drank water, and fired again at a group of workers, killing another one, and seriously injuring two othersâ€Â.
The Israeli Radio reported that the assailant, identified as 40-year-old Asher Weissgan, from the settlement of Shvut Rahel, north of Ramallah in the West Bank.
Zaki Heller, service official at the Israeli Magen David Adom ambulance, said that ambulances and intensive care units were dispatched at the shooting site in addition to a military helicopter, and transferred the injured residents to Hadassah Ein-Karem hospital in Jerusalem.
This is the second attack against Palestinians by Israeli gunmen in less than two weeks.ÂÂ
On August 4, 2005, a settler-soldier opened fire onboard a bus heading to Arab town of Shfa-Amr in Israel, killing four Arab residents and injuring at least 15 others.
The victims of the terrorist attack were identified as two sisters, Hazar 23, and Deena Torkey, 21, Nader Hayek, 55, and Michael Bahhouth, 56 years old.
The assailant, Natan-Zada was a military deserter residing in Tapoah settlement, in the West Bank; the settlement is slated for evacuation under the disengagement plan. Some sources said the soldier who carried out the bus attack was dispatched from one of the settlments near Jenin in the West Bank slated for evacuation under the disengagement plan, which begun on August 15.
