An Israeli man was killed and six others injured Thursday morning in a truck-ramming attack at a West Bank checkpoint near the central city of Modiin, escalating tensions in the region.
According to police reports, the assailant entered Israel by foot via the Maccabim checkpoint and then rammed a truck into a group of soldiers standing on the sidewalk, killing one of them and injuring others. He then drove another 10 kilometers, either in an attempt to escape or to attack at a second checkpoint, but was shot and apprehended by Israeli security who had been warned that the assailant was headed in their direction.
Police identified the attacker as Daoud Abdel Razak Faiz, a 41-year-old Palestinian husband and father from the West Bank village of Deir Amar. He had entered Israel with a valid work permit and had no security file, as far as Israeli authorities could tell.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued a statement after the incident: “Sending my condolences to the family of the person killed in the ramming attack this morning, and I wish a full recovery for the injured. This is an attack with serious consequences. [My] full appreciation to the security forces for their determined action that led to the elimination of the terrorist in a short time.”
