WEST BANK, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), The Hamas Movement on Wednesday evening hailed the ramming attack near the Beit Ur checkpoint west of Ramallah, describing it as a “natural response” to escalating settler attacks and continued Israeli violations against Palestinians.
In a statement, Hamas said the attack also came in response to repeated settler incursions into Aqsa Mosque and violations against Islamic holy sites, stressing that such actions would not go unanswered.
The Movement said attacks by Israeli forces and settlers against Palestinians and their land in the occupied West Bank would only lead to further confrontation.
Hamas called on Palestinians in the West Bank and Occupied Jerusalem to escalate resistance “in all its forms” against Israeli forces and settlers throughout the occupied Palestinian territory.
An Israeli soldier was seriously wounded on Wednesday evening in a ramming attack near the Maccabim military checkpoint in the central occupied West Bank. Israeli forces subsequently closed entrances and exits of the Ramallah and al-Bireh governorates, disrupting Palestinian movement.
The Israeli military said it suspected a ramming attack had taken place near the checkpoint and deployed reinforcements to the area.
The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the Palestinian killed by Israeli forces as Mahmoud Mohammed Mahmoud Suleiman, 29, adding that Israeli authorities have withheld his body.
Israeli emergency services reported that one person was injured in the ramming incident but initially provided no further details about the casualties.
Following the incident, Israeli forces imposed tightened restrictions and closed roads leading into and out of Ramallah and al-Bireh, leaving Palestinians stranded and disrupting movement across the area.
Local sources also reported that Suleiman was shot and killed after Israeli forces accused him of attempting to carry out the ramming attack.
The incident comes amid continuing confrontations in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem. The Palestine Information Center Ma’ta recorded six attacks it classified as “significant operations” between the beginning of September and September 20, including shootings, stabbings, ramming attacks and armed clashes.
According to Ma’ta, settlers carried out 4,357 attacks from the beginning of 2026 through the end of August, exceeding the 3,818 incidents it recorded during all of 2025.
Separately, the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission documented 2,030 attacks by Israeli forces and settlers against Palestinians, their land and property across the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem in August.
Of those, 628 were attributed to settlers and resulted in injuries or direct harm affecting 164 Palestinians. The Commission also documented the destruction or uprooting of 21,508 trees, including 19,375 olive trees.
