Dubai, Sep 20 (AP): A 30-year-old Israeli man was killed near the Neve Tzuf settlement north of Ramallah, hours before the Yom Kippur holiday, widely considered the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Israel’s military said the suspected attacker opened fire from a vehicle and fled on foot. After a search by security forces, the military said the man, who was injured while fleeing, was detained at a hospital where he had sought care.
It was the second time an Israeli civilian had been killed in a confrontation with a Palestinian this year in the West Bank, according to the UN.
Separately, the military said it killed a Palestinian man who attempted to carry out a ramming attack against soldiers at an intersection near Jenin in the northern West Bank, less than an hour later. The military said it was searching for another man who was in the car.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement called the attacks “despicable” and instructed the military to expand operations in the West Bank.
Tensions have surged in the West Bank, and extremist Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians have increased exponentially, emboldened by right-wing, ultra-nationalist politicians in Israel’s government. Earlier Sunday, Israeli troops carried out a large counterterrorism operation in the northern West Bank town of Al-Mughayyir. Palestinian officials said at least 28 people were detained.
