West Bank Israeli army kills Palestinian suspected of car ramming

West Bank: Israeli army kills Palestinian suspected of car ramming attack

The Israeli army shot and killed a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, the Palestinian health ministry said, after the Israeli army indicated it suspected him of carrying out a car-ramming attack.

The army said its soldiers “neutralized” the driver, who drove into a military post near the Fawwar refugee camp, south of Hebron.

Soldiers inspected a car and several military vehicles were at the scene, an AFP journalist noted.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed the identity of the driver, Mohammed Masalmeh, and said he was shot dead by Israeli soldiers at the entrance to the camp.

According to Israel's public television channel Kan, one person was slightly injured.

The day before, the army had shot dead a young Palestinian suspected of carrying out a car-ramming attack in the same area, at the intersection of Adorayim, between the major Palestinian city of Hebron and the Israeli settlement of Oteniel.

According to the Israeli emergency service Magen David Adom, four people were injured.

There has been a sharp increase in violence in the occupied West Bank since the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip began on October 7.

At least 317 Palestinians have been killed there since that date by soldiers and, in some cases, Israeli settlers, according to a tally by the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry.