Members of the Shin Bet security service mistakenly opened fire on an Israeli vehicle on Tuesday morning, near an IDF post close to Ramallah in the West Bank.
A preliminary investigation found that the driver of the car, a resident of the settlement of Ateret, had been involved in a minor collision with a Palestinian vehicle close to an impromptu checkpoint near Ramallah and was driving slowly as a result.
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The Israeli vehicle mistakenly hit by Shin Bet fire after a minor traffic accident
(Photo: TPS)
However, the driver sped up as he approached the post at which the security forces were stationed. The forces assumed he was attempting to run them over and opened fire at the windshield of the vehicle.
The driver was not hit by the gunfire although he did sustain mild injuries from the initial car crash and was evacuated to Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer.
The Shin Bet said shortly after the incident that this was a case of mistaken identity.
"During an operation in the Bir Zeit area, a vehicle drove rapidly towards the forces after hitting another vehicle. The forces that thought this was a car-ramming attack and opened fire," the Shin Bet said.
"No one was hurt in the shooting. A preliminary investigation on the ground showed that this was not an attempted attack."
The shooting took place amid heightened tensions following the murder of an Israeli woman in the West Bank on Sunday in what is believed to have been a terror attack.
The incident at the checkpoint occurred while her funeral was underway.
The IDF has also bolstered its troops in the area in the wake of Esther Horgan's murder in order to offer more protection to the local settlements.