2 Israelis injured in car ramming at West Bank military checkpoint

By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) - Two Israelis sustained minor injuries Monday evening when a Palestinian driver rammed a vehicle into a military checkpoint near the town of al-Khader, west of Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank.

“During IDF (army) activity in the area of al-Khader, a Palestinian vehicle drove into a checkpoint and carried out a ramming attack,” the army said in a statement.

“The vehicle fled the scene. Large forces are conducting scans in the area,” the statement added.

While the Israeli military statement did not confirm any injuries, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported that two Israelis were injured in the incident but did not specify whether they were soldiers.

Following the incident, Israel’s Army Radio reported that the army is surrounding Bethlehem.

The Israeli military has conducted regular raids in the West Bank in recent years, which have escalated with the start of Israel’s onslaught against the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023. Palestinians have also been violently attacked by illegal Israeli settlers.

At least 780 Palestinians have since been killed and over 6,300 injured by the Israeli army in the occupied territory, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The escalation follows a landmark opinion in July by the International Court of Justice that declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land “illegal” and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.