Son of Israeli ambassador to US gravely injured in West Bank vehicle attack
Israeli military reservist Neria Leiter was critically injured on Route 443 near the Beit Horon checkpoint after a driver rammed a parked police vehicle, hours before his father called for prayers.
The attack on Route 443
On Wednesday afternoon, 23 September 2026, a vehicle rammed into an Israeli security checkpoint along Route 443 in the West Bank, near the settlement of Beit Horon between Modiin and Jerusalem. According to police and military accounts, a 29-year-old driver accelerated his car directly toward a stationary police vehicle where an Israeli reservist was stationed alongside a police officer. The impact struck the reservist, causing severe trauma. Israeli soldiers positioned at the scene immediately opened fire on the driver as he attempted to flee, killing him on site. The Palestinian Health Ministry and Israeli security authorities later identified the deceased driver as Mahmoud Suleiman from the nearby village of Beit Ur al-Tahta. Following the incident, the military deployed additional security units to reinforce checkpoints throughout the surrounding area.
Medical response and condition
Emergency response teams from the Magen David Adom medical service arrived at the scene shortly after the collision. Paramedics reported that the wounded soldier had lost consciousness and suffered severe head trauma alongside multi-system injuries. Medical teams stabilized him at the roadside before evacuating him directly to the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem for emergency treatment. Hospital medical staff continued intensive interventions into the evening to stabilize his condition. Ambassador Yechiel Leiter addressed the public on social media, describing his son's condition as critical.
I believe in the power of prayer and I believe that when the people of Israel unite, miracles happen. Neria needs a miracle. Neria continued to serve in the reserves after losing his older brother, Moshe Yedidya Leiter.
Family history of military service
The injured reservist was publicly identified as Neria Leiter, the son of Yechiel Leiter, who has served as Israel's ambassador to the United States since 27 January 2025. The diplomat, a father of eight, noted that his son had completed hundreds of days of active reserve duty across multiple fronts since the outbreak of hostilities on 7 October 2023. The incident marks the second time the Leiter family has confronted severe casualties during the war. The ambassador's eldest son, Moshe Yedidya Leiter, was killed during combat operations in the northern Gaza Strip on 10 November 2023, leaving behind a wife and six children.
- Hamas-led attacks take place, initiating wartime mobilization of Israeli military reservists
- Moshe Yedidya Leiter is killed in action during military operations in the Gaza Strip
- Yechiel Leiter officially assumes his role as Israel's ambassador to the United States
- Neria Leiter sustains critical injuries during a ramming attack on Route 443 in the West Bank
Official reactions across government
Israeli political and military leaders issued public statements expressing support for the ambassador and his family throughout Wednesday evening. Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly confirmed the identity of the wounded soldier and extended prayers for his recovery.
Yechiel, I stand with you and your family, and I pray together with the entire nation of Israel for the recovery of your son.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he and his wife Sara were praying for a miracle alongside the public. President Isaac Herzog also released a statement, describing the soldier as fighting for his life in intensive care. The incident followed a separate fatal shooting attack near the settlement of Neve Tzuf earlier the same week, as well as an attempted vehicle ramming near the Ganim settlement the previous weekend.
