Two IDF Soldiers Run Over in Huwara; Terrorist Arrested

The troops were evacuated to Beilinson Hospital with light and moderate injuries.

By JNS

Two Israeli soldiers were wounded on Monday night when a terrorist rammed them with his vehicle in Huwara, near Nablus in Samaria.

The driver fled the scene but was captured by Israeli forces following a chase. A knife was found in his vehicle, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The victims were evacuated to the Rabin Medical Center’s Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, one with light and one with moderate injuries.

The IDF recently upgraded the road infrastructure in the Palestinian village to increase security for drivers on Route 60, as an interim step until a bypass road can be completed.

The number of lanes on Route 60 at Huwara’s Einabus Square was doubled, from two to four, and the IDF also removed a traffic circle at Yitzhar Junction. Both changes were aimed at decreasing travel times through the terror hotbed.

The changes followed a series of terrorist attacks there, including the murder of brothers Hallel Yaniv, 21, and Yagel Yaniv, 19, as they sat in traffic on Feb. 26.

Dual Israeli-U.S. citizen David Stern, 41, narrowly survived a shooting on March 19 while he was driving through Huwara with his wife on their way to Jerusalem.

Just days later on May 21, an Israeli soldier was moderately injured in a vehicular assault in the village.

In addition to the infrastructure changes, a large number of IDF personnel have been deployed to the area and 13 new defensive positions were built to discourage attacks and to reduce security forces’ response times.

The IDF’s Samaria Brigade has also bolstered security inspections, including the deployment of additional checkpoint barriers.