Israeli forces seriously injured a Palestinian man, on Tuesday afternoon, after he allegedly carried out a car-ramming attempt, which wounded two illegal Israeli settlers at the Al-Khader junction, south of Bethlehem in the southern occupied West Bank.
Media sources said that hours after the army claimed the young man, Mahdi Mohammad Awad Deeriyya, 32, was killed, Israeli authorities retracted their initial announcement, claiming that he sustained moderate to serious injuries.
The sources added that an off-duty reserve soldier shot and wounded Deeriyya with live ammunition, after he allegedly carried out a car-ramming attack, wounding two settlers.
Israeli Army Radio claimed that the alleged perpetrator “rammed into a group at the Al-Khader Junction, running over several people, and was neutralized by gunfire. He was then wounded and arrested,” adding that “this is just one perpetrator, with no other involvement.”
Later, the army closed the entrances to several towns and villages in the Bethlehem governorate and erected many flying military roadblocks, obstructing the movement of citizens.
Shortly after the incident, occupation forces stormed the towns of Beit Fajjar, invaded the home of the accused Diriya, in addition to storming the towns of Al-Khader and Doha, and the Deheishe refugee camp.
Media sources reported that a large army force invaded the town of Beit Fajjar, south of Bethlehem, on Tuesday afternoon, positioned troops in the western part of the town, and stormed the family home of the accused perpetrator; no arrests were reported.
The sources added that the army invaded the town of Al-Khader, south of Bethlehem, and positioned troops in the vicinity of the Grand Mosque; no arrests were reported.
Occupation forces invaded the town of Ad-Doha, south of the city, taking up positions in the Al-Basha area, without making any arrests.
