19-Apr-17: At Gush Etzion, yet another Arab-on-Israel vehicle ramming attack; the assailant is dead

The vehicle-ramming attacker's knife [Image Source]

(If you came here via our tweet, we found something depressing, but also informative, in an Arabic news report at the bottom.)

An Israeli male suffered mild injuries today in another Arab-on-Israeli vehicle ramming terror attack close to the Gush Etzion Junction south of Jerusalem today (Wednesday) a little after 4:00 pm. We have reported on many Gush Etzion Junction attacks since the current wave of terror attacks (sometimes called the Stabbing Intifada) got underway roughly 19 months ago.

Today's attack involved a Mazda 5 wagon with white PA plates that, driving from the south in the direction of Jerusalem, crashed into the rear end of an Israeli bus at the hitch-hiking post just north of the junction, according to Ynet, striking a man aged about seventy who evidently had just gotten off the bus and was standing next to it.

The victim was described as conscious but disoriented with head injuries. He was treated by medics on the spot before being taken for emergency care to Jerusalem’s Shaarei Zedek Medical Center hospital. His injuries are said not to be life-threatening.

The attack vehicle and the bus it rammed. The
driver was shot by alert IDF forces stationed
near the scene and died of his wounds later
in hospital. [Image Source]

Times of Israel says the driver of the attack vehicle was shot by IDF soldiers stationed near the scene of the ramming, and was rushed for emergency care to the same Jerusalem hospital - Shaarei Zedek - as his victim. He was received there in critical condition after getting initial treatment at the scene by IDF medics and pronounced dead shortly afterwards, according to an army spokesperson. His identity was given as Sahib Mousa Mashahrah, 21, from the village of al-Sawahreh. In his car, police found a large knife (photo above) of the sort that has played a role in many recent knifings of Israeli victims.

Ma'an News Agency, reporting in English, said

photographs of the scene published by Israeli media showed that the Palestinian vehicle had seemingly collided with the back of a bus. The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed later in the afternoon that the Palestinian succumbed to wounds sustained when he was shot by soldiers at the scene, identifying him as Suhaib Moussa Mashour Mashahra, 21, from the Jerusalem-district village of al-Sawahira.

In its Arabic version, the same Ma'an suggested that the circumstances - the Arab vehicle crashing into the back of an Israeli bus - indicated that it was probably not an attack but a mere accident. And that the driver is a martyr.

The existence of the knife next to the driver's seat goes unmentioned.