Six soldiers hurt in car-ramming during West Bank protest

Palestinian driver, 19, killed by troops; ambulances pelted with stones as they approach site of attack in Beit Ummar, near Hebron

By Judah Ari Gross and ToI Staff 27 November 2015, 12:46 pm

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Israeli security forces at the scene where a Palestinian driver rammed his car into Israeli soldiers near Beit Ummar in the West Bank, on November 27, 2015. (Photo by Gershon Elinson/Flash90)

Six IDF soldiers were wounded in a second car-ramming attack Friday in the West Bank.

The attack took place during an altercation between IDF forces and Palestinian demonstrators at the entrance to the village of Beit Ummar in the southern West Bank, north of Hebron.

While soldiers held back the demonstrators to protect Route 60, the main north-south road that passes nearby, they were caught by surprise by a Palestinian vehicle that raced toward them and slammed into them.

According to the Magen David Adom rescue service, four of the wounded were lightly hurt with wounds to their extremities. One was moderately hurt. A sixth was lightly hurt and refused to be evacuated to hospital, demanding to remain with the troops in the field. Two of the wounded were officers.

Soldiers shot and killed the driver, the IDF said.

The assailant was identified as Omar Za’aqiq, 19, of Beit Ummar. Photos of him were spread on social media shortly after the attack.

המחבל שביצע את הפיגוע בבית אומר הוא עומר א-זעאקיק בן 19 מבית אומר pic.twitter.com/vVx5GUaq5C

— Elior Levy • אליאור לוי (@eliorlevy) November 27, 2015

MDA ambulances on the way to the scene of the attack were pelted with stones, MDA head Eli Bin said. The danger to rescue crews prevented the ambulances from reaching the wounded at the village entrance, Bin added. IDF medical teams had to bring the wounded from the village to the main road.

IDF forces fired crowd-dispersal ammunition toward the protesters, pushing them back into the village.

The area around Beit Ummar has seen multiple car-ramming attacks in the past.

Earlier Friday, two soldiers were lightly to moderately hurt in a car-ramming attack at the Kfar Adumim Junction, north of the West Bank city of Ma’ale Adumim and east of Jerusalem.

The driver of the Palestinian-registered automobile plowed into the soldiers as they waited for a bus. The assailant was identified by police as 30-year-old Ramallah resident Haziv Fadi. He is the brother of the man who attempted to run over a group of Israelis at the same Kfar Adumim bus stop on Sunday.