West Bank: 1 killed, 8 injured in gun attack
What's the story
At least one person was killed and eight others were injured on Thursday in a terror attack in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Three Palestinian gunmen, identified as Mohammed Zawahrah, Kathim Zawahrah, and Ahmed Al-Wahsh, carried out the attack near the Maale Adumim settlement, reports said. "The three terrorists...got out of their vehicle and started shooting...at vehicles that were in a traffic jam," Israeli police said. The incident comes amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Attack details
Attackers target vehicles stuck in traffic jam
The attackers targeted vehicles stuck in a traffic jam on the road toward Jerusalem and were later neutralized by the police. In a statement, Israeli authorities said, "Two terrorists were neutralized on the spot. In searches conducted at the scene, another terrorist was located who tried to escape...he was also neutralized." The Magen David Adom (MDA) rescue service has identified the victim as a 20-year-old man.
Government's response
Israel's Minister visits attack site
On Thursday, Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visited the attack site. He proposed distributing more weapons and implementing restrictions on the freedom of movement for West Bank residents governed by the Palestinian Authority (PA) under President Mahmud Abbas. The West Bank has experienced frequent Palestinian attacks on Israelis and near-daily raids by the Israeli military, often resulting in fatalities. Around 400 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war began in October last year.
Background
What do we know about conflict in West Bank
Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan after the "Six-Day War" in 1967. After the formation of the PA, the West Bank was divided into Areas A, B and C in 1995, denoting how much control the PA has in each. At present, Palestinians only control a scattered 11% of the total territory while the rest of the area houses Israeli settlements. There are about 700,000 Jewish settlers living in the West Bank, Human Rights Council reported.