The military and medics reported that Palestinian gunmen associated with Hamas terror organization opened fire on a West Bank gas station Tuesday afternoon. They killed four Israelis, and injured four others.

Two gunmen, according to Israel Defense Forces (IDF), carried out the terrorist attack on the gas station near Eli and the adjacent hummus restaurants.

Two hours later, special forces killed the second terrorist who fled.

Eight Israelis were treated on the spot, according to the Magen David Adom Ambulance Service. Four Israelis were declared dead on the spot, while four others were transported to hospitals in Israel.

MDA reported that one of the victims had a serious condition. Two others were listed as being in a moderate condition and the fourth in a good condition.

After the attack, an alert was raised in Eli regarding a possible infiltration. Residents of the community were ordered to lock their windows and doors as soldiers scanned the area. Around an hour and half later, the order was lifted.

Initial investigations by the Army indicate that the two terrorists arrived at the gas stations in a car, and opened fire first with assault rifles on diners at the adjacent Hummus Eliyahu Restaurant, before turning their attention to motorists.

A civilian armed with a gun shot one terrorist dead, and the second terrorist fled after stealing a vehicle from one victim.

According to local officials, several knives were discovered in the car that the terrorists arrived in.

By Tuesday evening, the four victims had been identified as Harel Maood, a 21-year-old from Yad Binyamin in central Israel, Elisha Antema, a 17 year old from Eli and Ofer Fayerman 64 years old, also from Eli. Shmuel Moordoff, a 17-year-old from Ahiya, was the fourth victim.

According to Palestinian media outlets, and pictures of his ID card that circulated online, the terrorist who was shot dead on the scene has been identified as Muhannad Faleh, 26 from Urif, a village in the Nablus region.

Shin Bet, Israel’s security agency, said that two hours after the initial incident, Israeli forces had killed the second Palestinian gunman.

Shin Bet officers, along with members of the elite Yamam anti-terrorism police unit, found the car the terrorist had stolen from a gas station near the Palestinian village of Tubas. They also found the assault rifle that was used in the attack.

Shortly after, the Special Forces located the suspect in a cab inside Tubas and shot him.

The agency stated that the suspect attempted to escape the vehicle during the arrest and was then shot by the police and neutralized.

The Palestinian Authority Health ministry confirmed that the man was dead. Media reports identified him as Khaled Mustafa, also of Urif.

Hamas has claimed Faleh, Sabah and other members as its own but did not claim responsibility for the attacks.

The terror group stated that “the operation south of Nablus was a clear signal to the criminal occupation Government,” adding in another statement that the action came “in response” to their crimes against the blessed al-Aqsa Mosque, and to its aggression against Nablus & Jenin.

Later in the day, Lt.Gen. Herzi Halevi toured the site of the attack and conducted an evaluation with senior officers.

IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari stated that the chief of the staff had instructed the IDF to reinforce the area with additional forces, conduct arrest operations in the region, and progress the demolition of the homes of Palestinian terrorists suspected of carrying out deadly assaults.

In a statement issued later, the IDF said that it would reinforce the West Bank by adding several battalions. The Police said they would also deploy more cops in “sensitive areas, junctions and crowded areas” of the West Bank.

The tensions between Israel, the Palestinians and Egypt have been rising for the last year. Israel’s military has conducted raids almost every night in the West Bank amid a spate of terrorist attacks by the Palestinians.

In a gun battle that took place in Jenin, in the northern West Bank on Monday, six Palestinians died and more than 100 others were injured. In the gun battles, eight IDF soldiers suffered light to moderate injuries. They were also injured by a roadside bomb which was detonated near an army vehicle.

In the first half of this year, Palestinian attacks on Israel and the West Bank killed 24 people, and injured several others, including the attack that took place Tuesday.

The Times of Israel has compiled a list of 126 West Bank Palestinians killed in that time span. Most of these deaths occurred during clashes between security forces and civilians, while others may have been victims of unrelated circumstances.