Neria Leiter, an Israeli reserve soldier and son of Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, was seriously wounded Wednesday in a car-ramming attack at the Maccabim checkpoint along Route 443 in the West Bank. Israeli police said the attacker accelerated toward a police vehicle at the checkpoint, striking Leiter, who was serving alongside an officer. IDF troops at the scene shot and killed the assailant.

Leiter was taken to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem in serious condition. He was unconscious following the attack and was later identified as the wounded reservist. Israeli reports identified the attacker as 29-year-old Mahmoud Mohammad Sliman from the nearby village of Beit Ur al-Tahta.

The attack has particular significance for the Leiter family. Neria’s older brother, Maj. Moshe Yedidya Leiter, was killed in northern Gaza in November 2023 while serving as a reservist. He was a company commander in the 551st Brigade’s 697th Battalion. Neria continued serving in the reserves after his brother’s death and has served hundreds of days across multiple fronts since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack, according to his father.

Ambassador Leiter was traveling back to Israel after learning that his son had been seriously wounded. He was scheduled to accompany Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday but will not attend because of the emergency.

Before learning about the attack, Leiter had appeared Wednesday morning in the Newsmax studio in New York. After receiving word about his son, he thanked the IDF and the medical team treating Neria and asked for prayers, writing that his son “needs a miracle.”

Leiter also described his son’s continued military service following the loss of his brother and said that Palestinian terrorism seeks to drive Israelis from their land. He contrasted that with what he described as Israel’s commitment to choosing life.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee expressed support for the Leiter family following the attack, noting that the family had already lost a son who was killed by Hamas in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said he and his wife were praying for Neria and the entire Leiter family.

The Maccabim attack comes amid heightened security concerns in the West Bank. Israeli authorities have reported a series of recent attacks and attempted attacks in the area, including a deadly shooting near Neve Tzuf days earlier.