IDF troops shoot Palestinian who accelerated car toward them; unclear if deliberate attack
Military says no soldiers hurt, attacker ‘neutralized’; PA reports driver killed; initial probe of incident in Hebron doesn’t find clear evidence it was an attempted ramming
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleStav Levaton is a military reporter for The Times of Israel
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 it was an immediate threat.
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 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.
On Sunday, the Palestinian Authority identified the man as Shaker al-Jaabri, 58, and said that he had been shot dead. The PA said his body was being held by the IDF.
Neither IDF statement had said the assailant was killed or that his body was being held.
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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