Palestinian Man Kills Two in Northern Israel Car Ramming and Stabbing Attack, Police Say
On 26 December 2025, a Palestinian motorist from the occupied West Bank town of Qabatiya carried out a car ramming and stabbing attack in northern Israel. The assailant killed a man, stabbed a woman, and injured a teenager before being shot and wounded by a civilian. He was subsequently taken to hospital. Israeli police described the incident as a rolling terror attack.
Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the military to respond forcefully in Qabatiya to thwart further attacks. The Israeli military announced it was preparing for an operation in the area. Israel stated that raids and demolitions of attackers' family homes in the West Bank help locate militant infrastructure, although rights watchdogs regard such actions as collective punishment.
Separately, an Israeli reservist was placed under house arrest after ramming his vehicle into a Palestinian man praying in the West Bank. The reservist's weapon was confiscated and his service terminated; the victim was unhurt.
According to United Nations tallies, over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank from 7 October 2023 to 17 October 2025, while 57 Israelis were killed in Palestinian attacks during the same period.
