Four people wounded in car ramming attack in central Israel

Four people were wounded, one critically, when a suspected attacker rammed into a bus stop in central Israel on Sunday, Israeli authorities said.

The suspect, who police said they believe to be a resident of east Jerusalem, was shot and "neutralized" by security forces at the scene, according to Avi Biton, the police central district commander.

"The [attacker], traveling east to west, ran over a number of Israelis at a bus stop - continued a few hundred meters, did a u-turn, and carried out another ramming attack at a bus stop," Biton said.

Police said they were searching the area, near the city of Ramle, for possible accomplices.

Video footage widely shared on social media and broadcast on Israeli television showed a white car on the pavement next to a bus shelter and uniformed men firing at the car. Traffic is halted on the major highway.

The four wounded were taken to hospital. Paramedics said two of the injured were in a serious condition, with police saying one of the victims was in a "critical" state.

In a statement released by a first aid group, the paramedic Michelle Rashkovski said, "When we arrived at the scene, we saw a vehicle that had hit pedestrians stopped at a bus shelter. We immediately called additional forces to the scene".

Violence has increased in Israel over the course of its military campaign in Gaza, following the October 7 attack in southern Israel.

At least 38,584 Palestinians have been killed and 88,881 others injured in Israel's military offensive on the devastated territory, Gaza's health ministry said on Sunday, an increase of 141 deaths since the day prior.