Israeli Ambassador’s Son Injured in West Bank Ramming Attack
Israeli ambassador's son critically injured in West Bank ramming attack. Family, officials express concern as violence escalates.
POLICY WIRE — Jerusalem, Israel — The son of Israel’s ambassador to the United States suffered severe injuries in a ramming attack near a security checkpoint in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday.
Neria Leiter, a reserve soldier, is in critical condition, according to Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, who shared the news on social media. This comes days after Leiter’s older son, Moshe Yedidya Leiter, was killed during the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which sparked the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
A Palestinian man drove his vehicle into a security post near the settlement of Beit Horon, seriously injuring an officer. Israeli forces responded by opening fire on the suspect, who was later killed. The area, located along a key highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, saw increased military presence following the incident. Paramedics transported the injured officer to a hospital in Jerusalem, where he was reported unconscious upon arrival.
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The suspect, identified as Mahmoud Suleiman by the Palestinian Health Ministry, was shot dead by Israeli forces. Both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog expressed hope for Neria Leiter’s recovery. Herzog described the situation as one where the officer is “fighting for his life.” Netanyahu visited the family at the hospital before heading to the U.N. General Assembly in New York, where the Iran war, launched by Israel and the U.S. on Feb. 28, is a central topic.
Violence has risen sharply in the West Bank since the Gaza war began, with recent months marked by settler attacks, evictions, military operations, and Palestinian assaults on Israelis. The current unrest occurs during the Jewish High Holy Days, just after Yom Kippur, the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar.
Ambassador Leiter recently played a key role in diplomatic talks between Israel and Lebanon, including a framework agreement announced in June with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, aimed at easing tensions with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group based in Lebanon.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
