West Bank Hebron shootings: Israeli teens visiting holy site among victims of separate attacks

Israeli troops were hunting one or more gunmen near the West Bank city of Hebron after three Israelis, including two teenagers, were shot and wounded in two separate attacks the area.

In the first incident, two young men aged 16 and 18 were fired on by a suspected sniper as they were visiting the Tomb of the Patriarchs site near the city.

The younger victim was seriously injured after being shot in the upper body, while the18-year-old sustained light wounds, Israeli media reported. They were both taken to a hospital.

Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesman Peter Lerner tweeted:

As the military was combing the area looking for the attacker, another Israeli was shot and severely wounded a few kilometres away near the Beit Einun junction. It was not immediately clear if the same person was responsible for the two shootings.

The IDF tweeted:

The Cave of the Patriarchs compound, including the Tomb where tradition says biblical patriarchs and matriarchs are buried, is sacred to both Muslims and Jews. However the shooting came as the site was reserved to Jewish faithful for a special 10-day period, Ynet News reported.

The attacks were the latest in a series of deadly incidents that have sent tensions running high in the region. Earlier on 6 November, a Palestinian stabbed and seriously wounded an Israeli man in an industrial area near Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank.