An Israeli soldier was injured Monday evening in a vehicle ramming incident near the Kiryat Arba settlement, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. The Israeli military has launched a wide-scale search for the perpetrator.
According to a military statement, the incident occurred at the “Yehuda Junction” in the Hebron area. The injured soldier was evacuated to a hospital for medical treatment. The military claims its forces fired upon the assailant, believing they wounded him before he fled the scene. A search and sweep operation is currently underway.
Reports indicate that Israeli forces are pursuing a vehicle, allegedly Palestinian, that fled towards the city of Hebron in the southern West Bank.
Following the incident, Israeli occupation forces reportedly entered the city of Hebron. Reports indicate raids were conducted at the Al-Ahli Hospital and the vicinity of both Al-Mizan Hospital and Al-Mohtaseb Hospital.
Hamas Praises the Attack
The Hamas movement issued a statement claiming that the “heroic ramming operation” near Halhul, north of Hebron, is a legitimate response to Israeli actions. Hamas cited daily killings, field executions, raids, house demolitions, and systematic attacks against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank as justification for the attack.
The statement further asserted that the rise in resistance operations in the West Bank is a direct result of Israeli actions and attempts to eliminate the Palestinian cause through Judaization, settlement expansion, annexation, and the imposition of facts on the ground by force. Hamas reiterated that resistance remains the legitimate option in confronting the occupation and its crimes as long as the aggression continues.
