An Israeli soldier was killed and another man was wounded in a car-ramming attack on Thursday by a Palestinian man near the Ofra settlement in the West Bank.
Elhai Teharlev, aged 20, was guarding a bus stop near Ofra when a Palestinian man drove his car into him and another soldier. Teharlev was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other soldier suffered light injuries.
The attacker was arrested and identified as 21-year-old Malek Hamed from the nearby town of Silwad in the West Bank.
In a Facebook post, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote that Elhai was very loved by his friends and family. He said: “He was an inseparable part of the community of Talmon, which today is mourning the terrible murder”.
The Hamas terror group praised the incident, with spokesman Hazem Qasem stating: “The Jerusalem Intifada is continuing its work that will only end with freedom… There is no security for the occupation army or the settlers as long as it denies our rights, occupies our land and attacks our people and our holy sites”.
Qasem continued: “Endorsing and supporting the Intifada is a national necessity and priority”.
Daoud Shihab, and Islamic Jihad spokesman, said: “We praise the car-ramming operation and expect more of them. They won’t stop”.
Since September 2015, 48 people have been killed and over 700 injured in a wave of stabbing, shooting, and car-ramming terror attacks by Palestinians.
