Two Israeli soldiers were killed and two others were seriously wounded in a ramming attack near Mevo Dotan, in northern Samaria, on Friday afternoon.
The military identified its dead as Capt. Ziv Daos, 21, from the central Israeli city of Azor, and Sgt. Netanel Kahalani, 20, from the northern community of Elyakim.
The wounded soldiers were airlifted to the Rabin Medical Center in Petach Tikvah. Hospital officials said Sunday that the condition of one of the soldiers, who had suffered severe head trauma and was fighting for his life, has improved and his life was no longer in danger. The other soldier remains in serious condition.
The attack occurred when driver Ala Qabha, 26, a resident of the village of Barta'a in the northern West Bank, approached a military post on Route 585 near the entrance to Mevo Dotan, 10 kilometers (6 miles) southwest of Jenin.
He sped up, plowing through the soldiers standing at the post. Video from the scene showed Israeli and Palestinian medics treating the wounded.
Daos and Kahalani were pronounced dead at the scene.
The attacker, who sustained minor injuries, was arrested and treated in an Israeli hospital for his injuries.
The Shin Bet security agency said Qabha had been released from Israeli prison in April last year after completing a 17-month sentence for security-related offenses.
He initially claimed he had lost control of the car and had not meant to harm the soldiers. He later changed his story and confessed that he had, in fact, set out to kill Israeli troops.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, GOC Central Command Maj. Gen. Nadav Padan and Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai visited the scene of the attack on Saturday, where they were briefed on the findings of the initial inquiry into the incident.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent his condolences to the families of the murdered soldiers and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
"We will work to raze the terrorist's home and we will prosecute him to the full extent of the law," Netanyahu said.
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman tweeted, "We will act to secure the death penalty for the terrorist, we will demolish his home, and we will find and punish anyone who collaborated with him."
President Reuven Rivlin issued a statement saying, "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims of this terrible attack. I send my condolences to the families of the deceased and my prayers for the speedy recovery of the wounded.
"We support security forces' efforts to investigate this attack and find the [terrorist's] collaborators. We will not rest until we bring all those involved to justice. We will not allow terrorism to become our reality," he said.
Palestinian media reported that Israeli military forces searched the Qabha family home in Barta'a and questioned family members following the attack. Qabha's brother was arrested, and the family's work permits were revoked.
A military spokesman said these included 71 employment permits and 26 trade permits.
Qabha's family claimed the incident was an accident and not a terrorist attack.
"Ala is not politically affiliated and doesn't belong to any organization," one relative said.
Hamas lauded the attack, as did Islamic Jihad, but neither claimed responsibility for it.
Hamas spokesman in Gaza Hazem Qassem said the attack "marked 100 days since U.S. President Donald Trump's criminal declaration [recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital]. This aims to demonstrate that the Palestinian people will continue with their intifada. These are not waves of rage, but an ongoing protest that is a natural reaction to the crimes of the Israeli occupation. The struggle will continue until our people are free."
Hamas official Fawzi Barhoum lauded the "hero of the Jenin attack," saying it showed that the Palestinians are "willing to continue on the path of resistance, using all its tools to protect against the occupation."
Israeli defense officials believe Qabha acted alone, as he has no known affiliation with any known terrorist group.
One military official said the defense establishment was concerned by copycat attacks during the upcoming holiday season of Passover and Israeli Independence Day, which is always a volatile period across Judea and Samaria. Tensions are expected to be higher this year over the planned opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem in May.
