The suspected attempted attack took place after soldiers set up a surprise checkpoint in the town. They noticed a vehicle that stopped at the checkpoint and suddenly accelerated towards another group of soldiers. The soldiers fired at the vehicle and no Israelis were injured.According to Palestinian media, the Palestinian driver, Osama Mansour, was killed. His wife, who was in the car with him, was injured in the incident; her condition is stable.The Palestinian Wafa news agency claimed that the IDF threw a sound grenade at the car when they neared the checkpoint, causing Mansour to speed up after which he was shot. Clashes broke out in the towns of Bir Nabala and Al-Jib between Palestinians and Israeli security forces on Monday night, according to Wafa.
Mansour was buried in the town of Biddu north of Jerusalem later on Tuesday, wrapped in a shroud featuring the logo of Fatah, according to the Twitter-based Aurora Intel news source.
Mansour's wife, Sumaya, told Wafa that IDF soldiers stopped them at a surprise checkpoint and, after checking their car, allowed them to pass, but, a few seconds after they passed, the soldiers began firing at the vehicle. More than 10 bullets hit Mansour and two bullets hit his wife, according to Wafa.
Mansour leaves behind his wife and five children.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem responded to the incident on Tuesday, calling it a "new crime committed by the occupation."
"The continuation of these crimes necessitates the escalation of resistance in all its forms to punish the occupation and make it pay for its crimes, and put an end to the aggressive behavior of its army and settlers," he said.
"In the context of the race for the [Palestinian] Authority elections, the aggression against our people is escalating," said the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group in response to the incident, claiming that Mansour was "executed in cold blood."
The PIJ stressed that confront Israel in all forms is "an absolute duty and necessity, with no alternative." The group called for a united stance on the incident in "supporting and strengthening the option of resistance in all its forms, so that the enemy knows and realizes that the blood and dignity of our people is precious, and that there is no compromise in the face of the ingestion of innocent blood."
The terrorist group called for an end to security coordination with Israel and an activation of "all forms of resistance," affirming their "right to resist and respond" to the death of the Palestinian and other incidents.