Israel Army Confirms Killing of Two Assailants in Separate West Bank Incidents
The Israel army announced on Tuesday that its forces had killed two Palestinian assailants in separate incidents across the occupied West Bank. The two individuals, identified by the Palestinian Authority as a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old, were reportedly involved in attacks targeting Israeli soldiers. The incidents come amid a surge in violence that has continued despite ongoing ceasefire efforts and regional diplomatic pressure.
According to the Israel army, the first attack occurred on Monday evening near Hebron, a city in the southern West Bank that has long been a flashpoint for clashes. In this incident, a female soldier was lightly injured after what the army described as a deliberate car-ramming carried out by a Palestinian driver. The military stated that after the attack, forces pursued the suspect and attempted to apprehend him. During the confrontation, soldiers opened fire, killing the attacker.
In its statement, the Israel army noted that the suspect “attempted to flee while endangering the forces, who responded with live fire.” The Palestinian Authority later identified the deceased as 17-year-old Muhannad Tariq Mohammed al-Zaghir. While Israeli forces did not return the body, Palestinian officials said they had been notified of his death, but no additional details were made available.
Hebron remains one of the most sensitive and volatile areas in the West Bank, with tensions frequently erupting between Palestinians and Israeli settlers, as well as between residents and military forces. Monday night’s attack and its aftermath add to the growing list of violent confrontations that have intensified since 2023.
Israel Army Reports Deadly Clashes Amid Rising West Bank Tensions
A second deadly clash occurred near Ramallah, in the central West Bank, which the Israel army has occupied since 1967. According to an army spokesperson, soldiers were dispatched to the vicinity of the Israeli settlement of Ateret following reports of a suspicious individual. The brief military statement said that during the confrontation, the suspect began stabbing soldiers, prompting Israeli forces to shoot and kill him.
Israel’s Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency services reported that two Israeli men, both around 20 years old, sustained light injuries during the stabbing attack.
The Palestinian Authority identified the deceased as 18-year-old Mohammed Raslan Mahmoud Asmar, stating that he had been fatally shot north of Ramallah by Israeli forces. No additional official details on the circumstances have been released by Palestinian officials.
In response to the two attacks, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement issued a statement praising the assailants, describing their actions as “heroic operations… against the occupation soldiers.” The militant group frequently frames such incidents as resistance against Israeli military presence in the West Bank.
The Israel army, however, maintains that its soldiers were responding to direct threats to their safety. Both incidents underscore the persistent volatility across the territory, where Israeli military operations, Palestinian attacks, and settlement-related tensions continue to fuel a cycle of violence.
Violence in the West Bank has sharply escalated since the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza. Despite a fragile truce between Israel and Hamas entering into effect in October 2025, tensions on the ground have not eased. The West Bank, often overshadowed by the conflict in Gaza, has experienced its highest levels of violence in years.
According to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry figures, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the beginning of the Gaza war. While many of the fatalities were militants engaged in confrontations with the Israel army, the statistics also include scores of civilians caught in clashes, raids, or crossfire.
On the Israeli side, at least 44 people—both soldiers and civilians—have been killed in Palestinian attacks or military operations in the West Bank, according to official Israeli data.
The latest incidents near Hebron and Ramallah highlight the deepening security crisis and the challenges faced by both Israeli and Palestinian authorities. With the Israel army increasing patrols and operations across the territory, and Palestinian factions calling for continued resistance, the likelihood of further violence remains high.
Diplomatic efforts to stabilize the region have struggled to gain traction, and neither the truce in Gaza nor ongoing international pressure has significantly reduced hostilities in the West Bank. As tensions persist, both sides brace for further confrontations, while civilians continue to bear the heavy toll of a conflict with no immediate resolution in sight.
Source- EWN
