Two Israeli soldiers were injured at Tapuach Junction in Samaria on Tuesday when they were run over by a Palestinian, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
The driver had accelerated towards the troops, and fled the scene after slamming into them, the military said.
The soldiers, who suffered light and moderate injuries, were evacuated to hospital for treatment, and a manhunt was launched for the driver.
The suspect, a 21-year-old from Nablus, quickly turned himself in, claiming the incident was an accident and that he had fled over fears of being shot, according to Israeli media reports.
The IDF confirmed that the suspect was in custody, and said he was being questioned.
The attack comes amid heightened tensions following two Palestinian terrorist attacks over Shabbat, one of which killed seven people at a synagogue in Jerusalem.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi has ordered the reinforcement of troops in Judea and Samaria in preparation for a possible military escalation, while Israel Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai similarly ordered the highest level of alert.
While there were no claims of responsibility for any of the recent wave of attacks, Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan placed the blame squarely on the Palestinian Authority.
“[Palestinian Authority chief] Mahmoud Abbas is trying to ignite the country, and the government should treat him like a terrorist,” said Dagan. “Abbas is testing the government over and over and over again, and if it wants to prevent a wave of terrorism it must order the IDF to immediately launch a determined military operation against the P.A.’s terrorist infrastructure,” he added.
