JERUSALEM: A Palestinian rammed his vehicle into a group of people near a West Bank settlement on Thursday, killing an Israeli soldier and wounding another, the military said.
The military said the Palestinian was apprehended after the attack near the Ofra settlement. Rescue services said the slain Israeli soldier was 20 years old. The wounded soldier was evacuated to hospital for treatment.
Israeli media said the Israelis were standing near a bus stop at the time of the attack.
President Reuven Rivlin sent his “heartfelt condolences” to the family of the soldier who was killed. “We will never allow terror to weaken us. Israeli society is strong, and we must stand firm in defense of our state and our land,” he said in a statement.
Since September 2015, Palestinians have killed 42 Israelis and two visiting Americans, mainly in stabbing attacks.
Israeli forces have killed at least 242 Palestinians during the same period. Most of the slain Palestinians have been identified as attackers by Israeli authorities.
Israel says the bloodshed is fueled by a Palestinian campaign of incitement, compounded by social media sites glorifying attackers and encouraging violence. Palestinians say it stems from frustration over decades of Israeli rule in territory they claim for a state.
Rights groups have accused Israel of using excessive force in some of the confrontations.
Israeli military: Palestinian kills soldier in West Bank
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