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The scene of the attack in the West Bank. Photo by Magen David Adom Spokesperson's Unit
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Update

West Bank hit-and-run may have been accident - not terror attack

By Gili Cohen for Haaretz, Mov 6, 2014

Israeli security source releases new information following questioning of suspect, indicating that the three soldiers, wounded Wednesday, may not have been hit deliberately.

The Palestinian driver who struck three Israel Defense Forces soldiers in the West Bank late Wednesday apparently did so by accident, and not as a deliberate terror attack, a senior Israeli security official said Thursday after the suspect was questioned.

The suspect turned himself in on Thursday morning, and a second suspect was also arrested.

The three soldiers have been wounded just hours after one person was killed and 13 wounded in a similar attack in Jerusalem. Two of the soldiers were moderately wounded and one seriously when they were hit by a car. Magen David Adom rescue services were evacuating the soldiers to Hadassah Hospital at Ein Karem with chest injuries, bruises and limb fractures.

The incident took place on Route 60 near the town of Al-Arroub in the Gush Etzion bloc. The soldiers were hit by the vehicle when they were standing by a pillbox guard tower. After hitting them, the vehicle drove away to the south.
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Suspect in hit-and-run that left 3 soldiers injured turns himself in Nov 6, 2014

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- A Palestinian man suspected of having run over three Israeli soldiers on Wednesday evening turned himself in to "security forces," the Israeli military said in a statement on Thursday.

Earlier, Israeli forces had carried out raids across the southern West Bank to find the man, who had been identified as Hammam Masalma.

Four of Masalma's relatives were detained from the southern West Bank town of Beit Awwa early Thursday, after Israeli forces raided the area and found no sign of Hammam.

Palestinian security sources said Israeli troops erected several military checkpoints around Beit Awwa west of Hebron before ransacking the home of Hammam Masalma, who they believed deliberately attacked the soldiers.

Masalma, however, was not at home at the time of the raid. As a result, Israeli troops decided to detain his relatives Muhammad Jamal Shalash Masalma, Subhi Shalash Masalma, Issa Khalil Masalma, and Ismail Subhi Masalma instead.

The Israeli soldiers also ransacked and inspected homes of Jamil Badawi Masalma and Abdul-Qadir Ismail Masalma.

Israeli police sources say that they managed to identify the truck driver from the vehicle's registration data.

Separately, Israeli forces detained Ahmad Muhammad Thiab Abu Salih, 34, from Dura just west of Hebron. He was detained near the village of Tuqu east of Bethlehem. Security sources say he has Turkish nationality.

Israeli forces also stormed the city of Yatta south of Hebron and ransacked several homes for inspection.

The hit-and-run incident on the main Bethlehem-Hebron road on Wednesday night was the third such vehicular attack on Israeli soldiers and civilians in recent weeks, although the previous two took place in Jerusalem.

Palestinians, however, have decried the "double standards" around the incidents, noting that Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank regularly run over locals -- including many children -- but are never accused of terrorism as a result.

In a notable incident, in October an Israeli settler ran over two children near the northern West Bank town of Sinjil, killing 5-year-old Einas Khalil. The case was only the latest in a series of Israeli settler hit-and-runs on major Palestinian roads, but failed to garner widespread attention in the Israeli media.

The Israeli authorities, however, have deemed the recent vehicular attacks in Jerusalem, which left a policeman and a child dead, as "terrorist attacks" and have clamped down strongly on Palestinian neighborhoods, sparking daily clashes.

In late October, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat blamed Israel for rising anger and for provoking the Palestinian public, noting that Israeli authorities have allowed Jewish settlers to take over homes in Palestinian neighborhoods, have announced plans to build thousands of units for Jews in the city while ignoring Palestinian residents, and have generally looked the other way at rising violence by Jewish civilians against Palestinians across the city.

"We regret all loss of life. At the same time we reiterate that the Israeli occupation of Palestine remains the main source of violence and instability in the region," he said.

"Palestinian citizens continue to be oppressed, imprisoned, injured and killed by the occupation forces, with impunity and the full backing of the Israeli government," he continued.
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Nov 5, 2014

Three Israeli soldiers wounded in suspected car ramming attack in West Bank

Another vehicular terrorist attack is believed to have taken place in Gush Etzion, hours after attack in Jerusalem in which one was killed, 13 wounded.

By Gili Cohen and Yaniv Kubovich for Haaretz

Three soldiers have been wounded in a suspected vehicular terror attack in the West Bank, just hours after one person was killed and 13 wounded in a similar attack in Jerusalem.

Two of the soldiers were moderately wounded and one seriously in the suspected attack, according to Magen David Adom rescue services.

The incident took place on Route 60 near the town of Al-Aroub in the Etzion settlement bloc.

In Wednesday's earlier attack, a Border Police officer was killed and at least 13 wounded after a commercial vehicle drove into a crowd of people on Shimon Hatzadik Street, near East Jerusalem.

The driver of the vehicle, Ibrahim al-Akri, was shot and killed by a police officer.

The Border Police officer killed was identified as Jadan Assad from the Druze town of Beit Jan in the Galilee. Assad's funeral will be held Thursday at 1:00 P.M. in his hometown of Beit Jann, where he will be buried in the military section of the local cemetery.

Of the other casualties, three were reported to be in critical condition and four in moderate condition. They include additional Border Police officers.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon both held Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas responsible for the attack, saying that it was a result of his "incitement." The prime minister was set to hold a security assessment meeting at 8:30 P.M.

This is a developing story