Israeli Envoy to US Says Son Critical After West Bank Ramming

Israel's ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, said his 38-year-old son was still fighting for his life on Thursday, a day after a Palestinian driver rammed him at a checkpoint outside a settlement west of Ramallah.

Speaking from Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, where his son Neria is being treated, Leiter said the reservist soldier remained "still hanging in the balance" but had been stabilized by hospital staff. He thanked the medical teams for what he described as life-saving work and said the coming days would be decisive.

"The next few days will be critical," Leiter said, standing beside his son.

He framed the attack as part of a wider campaign against the Jewish state and asked for prayers, saying he had received messages of support from Jews and non-Jews around the world. He also praised reservists who he said leave their homes for hundreds of days of duty to defend the country, calling them "the greatest generation of Jews that ever lived."

"They're praying as well, not only for Neria's recovery, but that we win this battle against the evil that is being exported from Tehran through the proxies of Hamas and Hezbollah," he said.

Dr. Alon Schwartz, director of the trauma unit at Shaare Zedek, said Neria Leiter arrived unconscious and in severe condition from the ramming outside Jerusalem. After being stabilized, he underwent imaging and tests and was rushed to the operating room, where multiple teams operated on him through the night. He suffered multi-organ injuries and is now in intensive care in stable condition, though his life remains at risk, Schwartz said, adding that intensive care, surgical and neurosurgical teams are involved in his treatment.

Israeli authorities said the Palestinian driver rammed his car into a security checkpoint on Wednesday, seriously wounding Neria Leiter. Forces at the scene opened fire as the man tried to flee and killed him. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the suspect as Mahmoud Suleiman.

The checkpoint lies on a major highway linking Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog both sent wishes for Leiter's recovery. Herzog said in a social media post that Leiter was "fighting for his life." Netanyahu visited the family at the hospital on Wednesday night before leaving for the United Nations General Assembly in New York.