Israeli army kills Palestinian in occupied West Bank over alleged car-ramming attack

The Israeli army shot and killed a Palestinian at the Beit Ur checkpoint west of Ramallah in the central occupied West Bank on Wednesday evening, alleging that he carried out a car-ramming attack that seriously injured an Israeli soldier.

The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the man as Mahmoud Mohammed Mahmoud Suleiman, 29, saying he was killed by Israeli army fire west of Ramallah.

Before his death was announced, official Palestine TV said Israeli forces had opened fire on a Palestinian man at the Beit Ur checkpoint and tightened military measures around Ramallah.

The Israeli army said in a statement that a “car-ramming attack” had occurred near the Maccabim, or Beit Ur, checkpoint, before later announcing that its forces had killed the alleged attacker at the scene.

Giving its account of the incident, Israeli police claimed the Palestinian drove his vehicle toward a police patrol and struck one of its members, seriously injuring him.

Police later said the wounded man was an Israeli soldier accompanying the patrol as part of joint cooperation, adding that forces at the scene opened fire on the Palestinian and killed him.

Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom said the wounded soldier was 40 years old and in serious condition.

Israeli Army Radio identified the wounded soldier as Neria Leiter, son of Israel’s ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter.

The broadcaster said the ambassador had previously lost another son, Moshe Yedidya, early in the war.

It added that the ambassador was traveling from Washington to Israel.

Israeli forces have previously killed Palestinians at military checkpoints across the occupied West Bank after alleging attempted attacks. In some cases, subsequent findings have contradicted initial Israeli accounts and indicated that Palestinians were shot on suspicion.

The occupied West Bank is covered by a network of Israeli military checkpoints that severely restrict Palestinian movement between cities and towns.

The incident comes amid an escalation in Israeli military raids and attacks by Israeli occupiers against Palestinians since the start of the Gaza genocide.