At least one man in his 30s was killed in a suspected drive‑by shooting near Neveh Tzuf in the West Bank while people had gathered at a spring ahead of Yom Kippur. Medics briefly restored his pulse and he was airlifted to Rabin Medical Center, but he later died of his wounds. IDF Duvdevan commandos arrested a wounded suspect at a Ramallah‑area hospital after initial engagement by a nearby brigade tracker. Highway 465 was closed and security forces established roadblocks and a blockade around Deir Nidham while searches and investigations continue.
Suspected Drive‑By Shooting Near Neveh Tzuf Kills Man; Duvdevan Arrests Suspect At Ramallah‑Area Hospital
Senior police officers hold a situational assessment following a fatal terror shooting near Neveh Tzuf, West Bank, September 20, 2026. (photo credit: ISRAEL POLICE)
At least one man in his 30s was killed Sunday afternoon in a suspected drive‑by shooting near the settlement of Neveh Tzuf in the West Bank, north of Ramallah. The attack occurred as people had gathered at a nearby spring to perform ritual immersion ahead of Yom Kippur.
Magen David Adom medics briefly restored the victim's pulse with CPR and airlifted him by helicopter to Rabin Medical Center–Beilinson Campus in Petah Tikva; he later died of his wounds.
What Happened
Initial accounts say the assailant opened fire from a passing red Mitsubishi SUV bearing Palestinian Authority license plates. After firing at people at the spring, the attacker reportedly exited the vehicle armed and fled on foot. A nearby IDF brigade tracker engaged the attacker and wounded him; the suspect subsequently reached a hospital in the Ramallah area where Duvdevan commandos, acting on intelligence from Shin Bet and Israel Police, arrested him.
Security Response
The IDF established roadblocks in the area and closed Highway 465 in both directions. Soldiers from the Binyamin Regional Brigade, Duvdevan commandos, Israel Police and other units were mobilized in a multi‑agency manhunt. Security forces set up a blockade around the village of Deir Nidham and conducted searches on foot and with drones and other aerial assets.
Car suspected to belong to the terrorist who shot at least one person nearby Neveh Tzuf in the West Bank, September 20, 2026. (credit: SECTION 27A COPYRIGHT ACT)
"We arrived and found a man in his 30s inside a vehicle, unconscious with multiple gunshot wounds. We removed him from the car and immediately began life‑saving treatment," said MDA paramedic David Trachtenberg.
Senior commanders, including IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Zamir, IDF Central Command chief Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth and IDF Judea and Samaria Division chief Brig.-Gen. Kobi Heller, attended the scene to coordinate operations. Maj.-Gen. Bluth said forces were determined to locate and detain anyone involved.
"We are determined to reach the terrorist and anyone who assisted him, and to either arrest or kill them. We know the terrorist's location, and it is only a matter of time before we capture him," Bluth said.
Mateh Binyamin Regional Council official Israel Ganz, who visited the site, said worshippers had come to the spring to perform ritual immersion when the attacker opened fire with an M‑16. He described a coordinated manhunt involving IDF, Israel Police, Shin Bet and Border Police personnel.
Aftermath and Statements
The suspect is in custody and will be transferred to Shin Bet and Israel Police for interrogation, the military said. Roadblocks, aerial searches and ground patrols remained in place as investigators and operational teams continued to follow leads.
The Gaza‑based group Hamas issued a statement praising the shooting and calling it a response to actions it described as provocations at and around the al‑Aqsa Mosque. The group urged further operations across the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Investigations and operational activity are ongoing in the area. Amir Bohbot contributed to the reporting.
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