Two Israeli Soldiers Killed in Attack by Palestinian Man

In an attack by a Palestinian man using a vehicle against a group of Israeli soldiers, one officer and one soldier were killed, and two other soldiers were injured. This attack occurred on the evening of Friday, March 15, near the settlement of 'Mevo Dotan' close to the Palestinian city of 'Jenin' in the northern West Bank. The soldiers, who were stationed to secure settlers around the mentioned settlement, were hit by the Palestinian man's vehicle while exiting a military jeep to establish checkpoints. According to Israeli media, the military's assessment of the attack site apparently indicates that the assailant was able to hit more Israeli forces by moving the vehicle back and forth at least twice. The Israeli army reported that the condition of the two injured soldiers is serious, and one of them, who underwent several surgeries at a hospital in central Israel on Friday night, is fighting for his life. The Israeli army labeled the attack as a 'vehicle terror attack' and announced that the Palestinian driver, Alaa Qabha, was captured alive and is in the custody of the country's security agency. The assailant had previously been a security prisoner and was released from prison this spring. According to the Associated Press, the Israeli army requested immediate authorization from the country's authorities to take action against the family of the Palestinian assailant. Israeli media also confirmed that work permits in Israel for 67 members of the assailant's family were revoked. Additionally, reports indicate that the assailant's brother and another man from the village of 'Bartaa al-Sharqiya,' where Alaa Qabha lived, have been arrested. Based on these reports, the assailant's house in the Palestinian village of 'Bartaa al-Sharqiya' has been surrounded by Israeli soldiers, and it is expected to be demolished soon with bulldozers and loaders surrounding it to serve as a 'lesson' for other Palestinians. According to Walla.net, Gadi Eisenkot, the commander of the Israeli army, visited the attack site early Saturday morning with several other senior commanders to assess the situation and issue necessary orders. According to Channel 10 of Israeli television, Avigdor Lieberman, the country's defense minister, stated that he will do everything possible to ensure that the assailant of this attack and similar attackers are executed in the future; this is despite the fact that the death penalty does not exist in Israel. Palestinians protested on Friday in accordance with a Hamas call on the hundredth day of Donald Trump's declaration recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and the vehicle attack on Israeli soldiers occurred in the late hours of this protest. Palestinians have been carrying out attacks against Israelis, especially soldiers in the West Bank, through vehicle ramming and stabbings since the fall of two years ago, in what they called the 'Al-Quds Intifada,' but this type of action had apparently diminished for some time. Palestinian organizations that identify themselves as part of the 'Resistance Front' against Israeli 'occupation' praised the new vehicle attack on Israeli soldiers in northern West Bank in statements on Friday night, calling it a 'brave step' and demanding its repetition. Hamas stated in its statement that this attack demonstrated that the 'Al-Quds Intifada' continues. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad also described such attacks as 'the natural right of the Palestinian people to defend themselves, their land, and their holy sites.'