Five Israeli soldiers injured in West Bank by car-ramming

Five Israeli soldiers were wounded Saturday night after a car rammed into them at Hizma checkpoint in the West Bank - north of Jerusalem.

The Israeli army is investigating the incident, Haaretz reported quoting an army spokesman, who said the suspect is still at large.

The suspect re-entered the West Bank, according to the army, and did not enter Jerusalem.

Three of the soldiers suffered minor injuries, while the other two are in a moderate condition.

Hizma, located in Area C of the West Bank, lies seven kilometres from Jerusalem's Old City and is bordered by the West Bank separation barrier to the west and Israeli settlements to the east.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. More than 600,000 Israelis live in settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The Oslo agreement of 1995 divided the occupied West Bank into three: area A, area B and area C.

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Area A is under the administrative and security control of the Palestinian Authority. Area B's administration is controlled by the PA, with Israel controlling security. Area C is under full administrative and security control of Israel.

All Israeli settlements across the occupied West Bank are classed as illegal under international law, particularly Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which asserts that "the occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies".

Israeli forces and settlers routinely attack Palestinians in the occupied territories, demolishing their homes, poisoning their livestock and vandalising properties.

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