Death of an Israeli Soldier in a Car-Ramming Attack in the West Bank

Israeli police and medical sources reported that a Palestinian truck driver killed an Israeli in a ramming attack at a checkpoint on the border with the West Bank on Thursday before being shot dead during a chase that followed the attack. The Israeli army stated that three soldiers were injured in the incident, which occurred on the Israeli side of the Makabim checkpoint on a major road. They were reportedly heading home for the holiday when the driver changed direction to run them over, and the incident also resulted in minor injuries to a vendor on the roadside. Israeli officials indicated that one of the injured had died. A medical source confirmed it was a military personnel, but the army has not yet confirmed this. The police, which described the incident as a terrorist attack, stated that the 41-year-old driver had a permit to work in Israel, and the pursuing forces shot him outside the nearby Palestinian village of Ni'lin before announcing his death. Hamas praised the operation, stating in a statement that "the operations carried out by the rebel youth in the West Bank against the occupation army and its settlers, including the recent ramming attack west of Ramallah, carry a clear message that there is no security for the occupier." However, the movement did not claim responsibility for the attack. The West Bank has witnessed a surge in violence in recent months.