CNN: Israeli envoy’s son critically injured in West Bank ramming attack

The son of Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter was critically injured in a ramming attack in the occupied West Bank, regional authorities said, one day before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to address the United Nations, CNN reports.

Neria Leiter, a reserve soldier stationed at a checkpoint near the settlement of Beit Horon, was rushed to a hospital in Jerusalem following the attack, according to emergency response services.

“Neria needs a miracle,” Leiter said in a statement on social media. “I believe in the power of prayer, and I believe that when the people of Israel unite, miracles happen.”

The driver of the vehicle, identified as 29-year-old Mahmoud Muhammad Mahmoud Suleiman, a Palestinian from the nearby village of Beit Ur al-Tahta, was shot and killed at the scene, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Hamas praised the attack, calling it a “natural response” to Israeli actions in the West Bank and Jerusalem. The group called for increased resistance against Israel but did not claim responsibility for the incident.

The attack has added to tensions in the West Bank, which has seen a series of deadly incidents in recent days.

Leiter’s elder son, 39-year-old Moshe Yedidya Leiter, was killed fighting in Gaza in November 2023, during the first weeks of the war that followed the Hamas-led October 7 attack on Israel.

The latest incident came days after a shooting near a natural spring in the West Bank on the eve of Yom Kippur. Netanel Shukrun, a father of six from the settlement of Alei Zahav, was killed in the attack. His 16-year-old son said his father warned him to take cover, saving his life.

The Israel Defense Forces said it remains on high alert across the West Bank.

“The IDF is on high alert, deployed and prepared with soldiers reinforced across all sectors, including throughout the fast. Our mission is clear and ongoing — to thwart terrorism, act decisively against every threat, and protect the citizens of the State of Israel,” IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said.

Since October 7, 2023, Israeli forces have conducted extensive military operations in the West Bank, which Israeli officials say target militant activity. The operations have displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians.

“Terrorism currently in Judea and Samaria is at its lowest level in decades,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said earlier this month. “And we will take all necessary steps to prevent terrorism from rearing its head again.”

By Vafa Guliyeva