90-Year-Old Man Detained for Allegedly Hitting Woman with Car in Gush Etzion

A 90-year-old man was detained on Friday for questioning after allegedly hitting a woman with his vehicle at Havat Tomer in the Gush Etzion area. According to police, the incident began when the man arrived at the site and started taking photographs, which led to an argument with a local teenager. The suspect then got into his car and drove off, lightly hitting the teenager who did not require medical treatment.

A resident approached the suspect's car to inquire about his actions, but he continued driving, striking her as she held onto the vehicle and dragging her several meters. The woman sustained minor injuries. The suspect was taken into custody by police for further investigation, and his vehicle was impounded.

Bezalel Smotrich, chairman of the Religious Zionist Party, condemned the incident, labeling the suspect a "Jewish anarchist." He attributed the attempted vehicular assault to what he called an incitement campaign by Yair Golan and left-wing activists. Smotrich called on the President of Israel to condemn internal violence and urged Golan, Gadi Eizenkot, and Naftali Bennett to retract statements about evacuating the outpost after elections, warning that failure to do so would be seen as permitting violence against the outpost's pioneers.

The incident adds to ongoing tensions in the area, with recent reports of criticism from an IDF soldier toward the Central Command chief and a U.S. congressman alleging that armed settlers detained them.