Israeli father and daughters injured in drive-by shooting at checkpoint near Bethlehem

Incident reported at the West Bank settlement of Tekoa

Palestinians at the at the Israeli-controlled Bethlehem checkpoint. EPA

Three Israelis were injured, two by shrapnel, during a drive-by shooting at a checkpoint on Sunday morning, the Israeli army said.

The shooter hit a car with a father and his two daughters inside at the checkpoint at the West Bank settlement of Tekoa near Bethlehem, Haaretz reported.

The Israeli military said the gunman opened fire on a car from a passing vehicle. It said the person suspected of carrying out the shooting was pursued and apprehended on Sunday afternoon, adding that an M-16 rifle had been found in the suspect's car.

The Magen David Adom ambulance service said it transported one of the victims, a 35-year-old man, to hospital. He was in a "serious but stable condition", the Times of Israel reported.

The northern and southern entrances to the town of Tekoa were closed, Tekoa municipality director Tayseer Abu Mufreh told Palestinian state news agency. He said a heavy Israeli military presence could be seen.

Violence in the West Bank intensified early last year when Israel launched near-nightly raids into Palestinian areas in the West Bank in response to a spate of Palestinian attacks against Israelis.

Since the start of 2023, more than 150 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, AP said.

Israeli says most of those killed have been militants, but stone-throwing youths protesting the raids and others not involved in the confrontations have also been killed.

At least 26 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks against Israelis during that time.