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Photos:
A member of the Israeli security forces stands next to the destroyed vehicle that was used by a Palestinian assailant in a car-ramming attack, West Bank, March 16, 2018. Credit: JACK GUEZ/AFP. Published by Haaretz

One of the wounded arrives at Bellinson hospital, March 16, 2018 Credit: Nir Keidar Published by Haaretz

Snapshot of a video from the scene, Credit: MDA Israel Spokesperson. Published by Haartz
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Fourth soldier moderately wounded ■ Driver questioned at the scene ■ Hamas says attack comes 100 days after Trump's Jerusalem recognition

by Yotam Berger, Yaniv Kubovich, Jack Khoury and Ido Efrati for Haaretz

Two Israeli soldiers were killed and two others were injured Friday in a car-ramming attack near the northern West Bank settlement of Reihan.

The victims were taken to Petah Tikva's Beilinson Hospital by helicopter. According to the hospital, one of the soldiers suffered a head injury and is in critical condition, while the fourth was moderately injured. One of the dead was an officer.

According to the Israeli military, the incident was a terror attack deliberately targeting soldiers. The driver, Ala Rateb Abed al-Latif Kabha, who has served a prison sentence for security offenses, was arrested and questioned at the scene. He sustained light to moderate injuries and was taken to a hospital near Hadera.

An initial investigation revealed that the four soldiers were not standing in a group. The officer and soldier who were killed were standing next to each other and were hit by the car first. The other two soldiers were standing behind a pillbox barrier when they were struck.

During the incident, no one opened fire on the vehicle. According to the initial investigation, the injured soldiers did not appear to have had time to react.

Kabha, 27, is a resident of the town of Barta’a, which straddles the Green Line. Kabha was discharged in April after serving a 17-month prison term. The Shin Bet security service said he has been taken in for interrogation.

Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, the coordinator of government activities in the territories, has ordered the immediate suspension of work permits for Kabha's family, which has 67 work permits in Israel and 26 commerce permits.