A 20-year-old Israeli soldier was severely injured Tuesday in a shooting attack near the eastern gate of Shavei Shomron.

The terrorists opened fire towards a nearby junction, and one of the bullets hit the young man's shoulder. Initially, his condition was declared to be "light" but it later deteriorated.

IDF soldiers have begun searching the area for the terrorists. As part of the search, security forces have entered several nearby villages and set up road blocks. It is suspected that the terrorist opened fire from his vehicle, and then escaped the scene.

The victim was treated by Magen David Adom (MDA) and military medics and evacuated by MDA ambulance to Meir Medical Center for further treatment in a hospital.

Not far from the scene of the shooting, a march began Tuesday afternoon towards the Sebastia train station, attended by thousands of adults and children.

Samaria Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan responded to news of the attack by saying, "This government's helplessness is costing in blood. For over a month already we have been warning, begging, screaming: Close the checkpoints, collect the weapons, stop the incitement, carry out a military operation against the Palestinian Authority, which is funding this wave of terror here."

"The quality of life of the terror supports in Shechem (Nablus) is worth more than the blood of the State of Israel's citizens," Dagan added. "This is costing in civilians' blood, this is costing in soldiers' blood, this is costing in the blood of the security guards at the checkpoints. We demand that this government recover itself, it must go home because it abandons the lives of the State of Israel's civilians and soldiers. Change the paradigm and stop preferring the quality of life of our enemies over the lives of the State of Israel's citizens."