A man was injured in a hit-and-run in Jerusalem on Wednesday, during a demonstration demanding better treatment for IDF soldiers suffering from PTSD.
The protester was taken to nearby Shaare Zedek Medical Center with mild injuries, the Magen David Adom emergency service said.
The motorist quickly fled the scene of the demonstration near the Chords Bridge, and, following a search, was found by police in the Abu Ghosh area and taken for questioning.
The hit-and-run occurred as protesters moved to block a road leading into the capital and was the latest in a series of incidents where motorists have hit protesters in recent weeks.
In footage of the incident, a man is seen lying in the road as several people attempt to chase the car that apparently hit the injured man.
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the terms
“A white Renault car that came out of the tunnel ran over three of them, and also almost hit a group of police officers who were there,” said fellow protester Hagai Ezran, speaking to the Ynet news site.
מפגין נדרס במחאת הלומי הקרב ליד גשר המיתרים בירושלים, מצבו קל@VeredPelman pic.twitter.com/cp7yJrZqQm
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) January 21, 2026
“Our goal was to raise awareness,” Ezran added, “and it was okay, but also a little disappointing. What’s sad is that only the incident… received resonance, and we are already really helpless.”
“We conveyed five demands to Defense Minister Israel Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,” he explained. “In general, it concerns immediate treatment of fighters who are released from the reserves; recognition and definition in law of combat veterans, because there are things we cannot receive, such as mortgages, life insurance, and more; and fixing the Rehabilitation Division, which has a labor dispute and everything is collapsing.
“But we mainly want to raise awareness that they have taken care of all the disabled IDF soldiers,” he said. “They don’t know what to do with us.”
Combat veterans suffering from PTSD protest in Jerusalem, January 21, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
According to statistics released late last year by the Defense Ministry’s Rehabilitation Department, 58 percent of the some 22,000 wounded soldiers that have been treated since October 7, 2023, are suffering from PTSD and other mental health conditions.
The issue has taken on increased urgency in the wake of the Gaza war, with tens of thousands of soldiers having seen prolonged combat.
An army report from July 2025 noted 9,000 requests for recognition of “psychological suffering” submitted to military health services since the war began.
According to a Knesset report released in October, it was found that between January 2024 and July 2025, 279 Israel Defense Forces soldiers attempted to take their own lives. More than three-quarters of suicides in Israel last year were combat soldiers, a sharp rise from previous years.
Is accurate Israel coverage important to you?
If so, we have a request.
Every day during the past two years of war and rising global anti-Zionism and antisemitism, our journalists kept you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fact-based coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
We care about Israel – and we know you do too. So we have an ask for this new year of 2026: express your values by joining The Times of Israel Community, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You appreciate our journalism
You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this