JERUSALEM, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The son of Israel's ambassador to the United States was seriously wounded on Wednesday in what Israeli authorities said was a car-ramming attack on Route 443 in the West Bank, while security forces shot dead the Palestinian driver.
Neria Leiter, who is an Israeli military reservist, according to a statement from the military, was injured when the driver drove toward a police patrol near a checkpoint. He was on duty alongside a police officer, police said. Neria Leiter was taken to Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek hospital in serious condition.
His father, Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, said on social media platform X that medical staff were fighting to save his son's life. "Neria needs a miracle," he wrote.
Neria Leiter's older brother, Moshe Yedidya Leiter, was killed while serving as a reservist in Gaza in November 2023, according to Israeli media.
Following the Wednesday incident, Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir ordered the 98th Division headquarters to operate in the West Bank. Citing a "situational assessment," Zamir said that the "activation of the division headquarters in the area is part of strengthening command and control, in order to enhance defensive and offensive capabilities."
Violence has intensified across the West Bank since the war in Gaza began in October 2023, with frequent Israeli military raids, Palestinian attacks and settler violence.
