Reconstruction of the route of the ramming attack carried out by from the Maccabim checkpoint to the Hasmonean checkpoint
(Video: Shmulik Dodpour)
An Israeli soldier was killed and 5 people injured in a Palestinian terrorist ramming attack at the Maccabim checkpoint in central Israel on Thursday morning. One of the injured, a young men about 20 years old, is in serious condition. The terrorist was "neutralized," according to the IDF. Three of the injured were in a car that collided with the truck used in the attack. Three of the victims are soldiers, the IDF confirmed.
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After the ramming, the terrorist continued driving toward Modiin. Soldiers at the Hasmonean checkpoint shot him and neutralized him when he reached the checkpoint.
The 41-year-old terrorist, married and the father of five children, lives in the Palestinian village of Deir Amar in the central West Bank. Israel Police Central District Commander Avi Biton told Ynet Live from the scene of the attack that the terrorist had permit to work in Israel. According to Bitton, the terrorist did not go through the Maccabim checkpoint itself, but entered from the Ni'lin checkpoint with a work permit, drove on a road from the settlement of Nili, went to the Shilat intersection, where he turned toward route 443, made a U-turn, and after about 100 meters ran over the young men who were standing on the side the road.
The Palestinian truck driver entered Israeli territory on foot at 5:55 a.m.with his work permit. He carried out the attack in a vehicle with an Israeli license plate, which he boarded inside Israel.
Police spokesman Eli Levy told Ynet Live that "the terrorist was neutralized by the security forces and thus prevented him from continuing to carry out another attack. Which, to our great regret, teaches us about a series of attacks. We have been warning for months about dozens of alerts for attacks every day."
Terrorist neutralized at Maccabim checkpoint
Levy addressed the public, saying that "at this time, we need the public's help with quick calls to Moked 100 - in any case of a suspicious person, a suspicious object, or an incident of illegal activity. Another thing that the commissioner has been saying for many months - every person who has a licensed weapon and is skilled in carrying a weapon, should carry the weapon on his body."
The truck used in the ramming was searched to find out if the terrorist had any weapons. Large forces of the Central Police District were rushed to the scene, and Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai came to the scene.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held an initial situation assessment following the attack, and will soon hold a situation assessment with senior officials of the defense establishment. He said: "I send my condolences to the family of the person killed in this morning's ramming attack, and I wish a full recovery for the injured. This is an attack with serious consequences; I give full appreciation to the security forces for their determined action that led to the elimination of the terrorist in a short time."
The victims were evacuated to Sheba Tel Hashomer hospital in Ramat Gan, Shaare Zedek hospital in Jerusalem and Shamir-Assaf Harofeh hospital in Be'er Ya'akov.
MDA paramedic Avi Schiff said: "We arrived at the scene with large forces and saw three young men, one of them unconscious and suffering from stomach and head injuries. We immediately gave them life-saving medical treatment in the field and evacuated them in intensive care vehicles to the hospital, with one is in critical condition, one in serious condition and the third in mild condition.
First published: 09:24, 08.31.23