Tel Aviv: On Sunday, a series of shootings erupted near the Israeli-occupied West Bank, resulting in at least one fatality and five injuries, Israel's emergency medical services reported.

Israeli law enforcement confirmed that security forces killed one assailant. In response, substantial contingents of Israeli troops launched a coordinated ground and aerial manhunt to locate potential accomplices. The geographical spread of the gunfire initially sparked fears that multiple shooters were executing a synchronised operation.

According to the Magen David Adom rescue service, the initial distress calls came in around 10:30 a.m., reporting gunfire at a service station near Kokhav Yair, a municipality situated on the Israeli side of the West Bank boundary. Shortly thereafter, authorities received additional reports of shootings in the towns of Tsur Natan and Tsur Yitzhak, as well as near the Israeli settlement of Sal'it, which is located within the West Bank.

Police subsequently identified the deceased gunman as a Palestinian citizen of Israel residing in Taybeh, a neighbouring Arab municipality.

Following the incidents, the local regional council leader stated that area residents were ordered to shelter in place, while schoolchildren were placed under immediate lockdown.

"Since Oct. 7, the scenario we were expecting was terrorist crossing into our towns from over the boundary. I don't think that anyone imagined that we would discover the attackers were Israeli citizens," Oshrit Gani Gonen, the head of the regional council encompassing the targeted towns, told Israeli media outlets.

With inputs from AP