An Israeli family narrowly survived a terrorist ambush near Ma’aleh Levonah in southern Samaria on Wednesday night, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
The family was driving home when their car was forced to stop due to large stones blocking the entry road to the community, according to the Binyamin Regional Council.
Palestinian terrorists then swarmed the vehicle and pelted it with stones, forcing the father to open fire with his personal sidearm.
“Terrorists threw stones at the vehicles of Israeli citizens tonight in the vicinity of Kfar Sinjil in the Binyamin Division. An Israeli citizen [female] was injured and did not require medical attention,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
“An Israeli citizen, whose vehicle was damaged by rocks, responded by opening fire,” said the IDF, adding that security forces had rushed to the scene and were investigating the incident. The military set up roadblocks in the area and launched a search for the terrorists.
Arab reports claimed one of the terrorists sustained a chest wound and was taken to a hospital in nearby Ramallah by the Palestinian Red Crescent.
Binyamin Regional Council head Israel Ganz said he had spoken to the victim of the attack, and praised his actions.
“You acted as expected and required of every citizen in such a situation. You protected the lives of your wife and four children. All the respect for correct conduct in such a situation,” said Ganz.
On Wednesday morning, an Israeli child was lightly wounded when Palestinians stoned Israeli vehicles on a road in the area of Huwara, a 20-minute drive north of Ma’aleh Levonah, according to Israel’s Army Radio.
The three-year-old girl was treated on the scene by IDF medics in the area and did not require evacuation to a hospital, the report added.
Route 60, the main north-south highway in Judea and Samaria, runs through the village, which is located just outside Shechem (Nablus). Following the incident, the road was closed to Palestinian cars for about three hours.
The decision to close the highway stemmed from the need to reinforce security forces in Huwara and prevent clashes between Jewish and Palestinian residents in the area, a military spokesperson told local media.