News
Israeli soldier purposely rams vehicle into Palestinian man praying by roadside in West Bank
The incident was caught on camera and the soldier's military service has been terminated.
December 27, 2025, 05:22 PM
An Israeli reservist soldier was caught on camera using his off-road vehicle to ram into a Palestinian man who was praying by the roadside in the occupied West Bank on Dec. 25.
In a statement, the Israeli military said it had received footage showing “an armed individual running over a Palestinian individual”.
It added that the driver was a reservist soldier whose military service has since been terminated.
The reservist soldier was said to have acted “in severe violation of his authority”, and his weapon has been confiscated.
Reuters reported the man is currently under house arrest.
The Palestinian man was taken to the hospital for medical checks following the incident, but was not injured and has since returned home.
Prayed while stuck at road block
A video aired on Palestinian television and verified by Reuters showed a man in civilian clothing, with a gun slung over his shoulder, driving an off-road vehicle into a man, who appeared to be praying at the side of the road.
Speaking to Reuters, the father of the Palestinian man said his family was returning to the village of Deir Jareer when they encountered a roadblock.
"We waited for hours so we could cross with other people. My son decided to get out of the car to pray [while] I waited in the car," he said.
According to him, he was sprayed with pepper spray, while his son was deliberately rammed by the vehicle.
Background
The incident comes amid a surge in violence in the West Bank.
United Nations (UN) data showed that 2025 has been one of the most violent on record for Israeli civilian attacks against Palestinians in the territory, with more than 750 Palestinians injured.
According to the UN, more than 1,000 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank between Oct. 7, 2023, and Oct. 17, 2025, mostly during Israeli security operations, with some deaths linked to settler violence.
In the same period, 57 Israelis were killed in Palestinian attacks.
Top image via Reuters
