Ambassador Leiter says he’s ‘full of hope’ for son wounded in West Bank ramming attack

The son of Israeli Ambassador to the US, Neria Leiter, was gravely hurt in a ramming attack in the West Bank on Wednesday, according to regional officials. This incident transpired one day prior to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's scheduled address at the United Nations. Neria, a reserve soldier directing a checkpoint near the settlement of Beit Horon, was promptly transported to a hospital in Jerusalem, where he remains in critical condition.

His father, Yechiel Leiter, shared his son's plight on social media, expressing faith in divine intervention and the power of collective prayer. The assailant, Mahmoud Muhammad Mahmoud Suleiman, a 29-year-old Palestinian from Beit Ur al-Tahta, was killed at the scene of the attack, as confirmed by the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Hamas lauded the attack, terming it a "natural response" to Israeli actions in the West Bank and Jerusalem, whereas the militant group in Gaza called for heightened resistance against Israel, yet refrained from claiming responsibility. Neria Leiter's older son, Moshe Yedidya Leiter, 39, had been killed in Gaza in November 2023 while engaged in the conflict sparked by the Hamas-led assault on Israel the previous month.

This ramming attack occurred in close proximity to a shooting that took place in the West Bank on the eve of Yom Kippur, the Jewish high holy day. Netanel Shukrun, a father of six from the settlement of Alei Zahav, was shot and killed while bathing at a natural spring during the holiday observance. Shukrun's 16-year-old son testified that his father had saved his life by issuing an urgent warning to seek shelter.

The suspected shooter was apprehended by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at a hospital near Ramallah on Sunday. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has advocated for the death penalty in this case, citing the application of capital punishment to terrorism and nationalistic murders under a newly enacted law. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir declared that the IDF is vigilant, mobilized, and prepared to counteract terrorism and safeguard Israeli citizens.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has conducted extensive military operations in the West Bank aimed at dismantling what officials perceive as terrorist strongholds, resulting in the displacement of thousands of Palestinians and military incursions into Palestinian villages. In early September, Defense Minister Israel Katz expressed optimism, stating that "terrorism currently in Judea and Samaria is at its lowest level in decades" and pledged to take all necessary measures to prevent any resurgence of terrorism.