A dozen Israeli soldiers were injured in a suspected car-ramming attack in Jerusalem today.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the incident at around 2am was being treated as a “terror attack” and a hunt was under way for the assailant.
One of the 12 injured near the First Station was seriously hurt while the others suffered minor injuries.
The troops were on an “educational heritage tour” when the car rammed into them. Such acts of violence were once common in Jerusalem but have tapered off in recent years.
Hospital officials meanwhile said a 19-year-old Palestinian had been killed in clashes in the West Bank city of Jenin.
Six others were wounded in the confrontation. The death came just hours after Israeli forces shot and killed a 17-year-old Palestinian during clashes with demonstrators elsewhere in the West Bank yesterday.
The rise in violence comes after President Donald Trump last week unveiled his long-awaited Middle East peace plan, which has widely been seen as favouring Israel and has been rejected by the Palestinians.
Israeli military spokesman Lt Col Jonathan Conricus said: “Attacks from Gaza and in Jerusalem, signs of a rise in hostile activity in Jenin, friction in Hebron. We are trying not to escalate the situation while understanding the complexity and sensitivity of it.”
In the West Bank, Lt Col Conricus said troops were attacked by Palestinians throwing Molotov cocktails and by sniper fire while carrying out the demolition of a home belonging to a militant allegedly involved in a deadly attack.
He said there was a “sizable riot” and Israeli forces responded with sniper fire.
