Israeli troops on Saturday shot and “neutralized” a Palestinian who accelerated his car toward soldiers in the Haret al-Sheikh neighborhood of Hebron, though it was unclear whether it was an attempted ramming attack, the military said.
According to the IDF, forces opened fire after the suspect accelerated in a manner that made them feel an immediate threat and fear that he was trying to run them over.
In a later statement, the army said that an initial probe of the incident had not yielded clear evidence that it was a deliberate ramming attempt.
No soldiers were wounded in the incident.
Palestinian media reported that the assailant, a young man, was seriously injured from several gunshots. Reports claimed that IDF troops prevented Palestinian Red Crescent first responders from reaching the scene and treating the wounded man.
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The Palestinian outlets did not identify the man who was shot, or report whether he was eventually taken to a hospital.
اصابة شاب بادعاء محاولته تنفيذ عم،لية دهس في مدينة الخليل #عاجل https://t.co/QAjFeIyb0H pic.twitter.com/7hyDbP9zYj
— وكالة قدس نت للأنباء (@qudsnet) January 10, 2026
Violence in the West Bank has surged since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught in Israel, which sparked the war in Gaza. According to the Palestinian Authority, over 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers since then. The IDF has said that most of those killed were gunmen, rioters who clashed with troops, or terrorists carrying out attacks.
During the same period, over 65 civilians and Israeli security personnel have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another eight members of the security forces were killed in clashes during raids in Palestinian cities in the West Bank.
Attacks by settler extremists have also risen sharply. The IDF recorded more than 750 incidents of settler violence in the West Bank in 2025, surpassing the 675 incidents recorded in 2024.
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