2 Palestinians killed in car-ramming attempts on soldiers

Two Palestinians were killed overnight in separate attempts to ram their cars into Israeli soldiers carrying out arrests at a refugee camp near Ramallah, Israeli and Palestinian sources said Wednesday.

"Tonight, during an operation to make arrests of wanted Palestinians and to seize arms in Qalandiya refugee camp, two attempted car-ramming attacks were made against security forces in two different parts of the camp," the Israeli army said in a statement.

The Palestinian health ministry confirmed the deaths of the would-be attackers, naming them as Ahmad Jahajha, 21, and Hekmat Hamdan, whose age was not disclosed.

The army said three soldiers were wounded during the attacks, one seriously.

Clashes erupted in Qalandiya after the Israeli raid on the camp in the occupied West Bank, witnesses said.

Since October 1, almost daily attacks by Palestinians and clashes with Israeli soldiers have killed 119 on the Palestinian side, 17 Israelis, an American and an Eritrean.

More than half of the Palestinian fatalities have been attackers, while others have been shot dead by Israeli security forces during clashes.
Source: AFP