Three killed as gunmen open fire near East Jerusalem checkpoint
Two Palestinians and one Israeli have been killed in a shooting incident at an Israeli checkpoint outside occupied East Jerusalem.
Israeli police said three Palestinian gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons on vehicles waiting to pass Al Zaeem checkpoint near the Ma’ale Adumim settlement on Thursday, killing one person and injuring eight.
Security forces killed two of the suspected attackers and wounded the third, who was later taken into custody, police commander Uzi Levy was quoted as saying by Israeli media.
Several of those injured are in serious condition, Israeli emergency services said.
Violence in the occupied West Bank has escalated since the war in Gaza began in October, with Israeli troops carrying out regular raids and drone strikes across the Palestinian territory.
At least 400 Palestinians have been killed in the region during the conflict, as a result of the raids and an increase in settler violence, the Palestinian Authority’s Health Ministry in Ramallah has said. Three Palestinians were killed during an Israeli raid in Jenin on Wednesday.
Israel says its raids are directed against members of Palestinian militant groups, including Hamas. However, children, elderly and unarmed Palestinians are often among those killed during the operations.
Attacks by illegal settlers have also increased, prompting several western nations, including the US – Israel’s closest ally – to impose sanctions on Israelis suspected of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for more houses to be built in Ma’ale Adumim in response to Thursday’s shooting.
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited Al Zaeem checkpoint after the attack and said a “major disaster” had been averted as a result of his decision to increase the number of armed Israelis in the area.
“Some criticised me for this, but today everyone sees that having weapons saves lives,” he was quoted as saying by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Mr Ben-Gvir, who has been widely criticised for stoking violence between Israelis and Palestinians, called for further restrictions on Palestinians’ freedom of movement in the West Bank, already curtailed by Israeli checkpoints.
“The right to life of Jewish residents living in the West Bank is more important than the freedom of movement for Palestinian Authority residents,” he said.
“Therefore, I anticipate more barriers and restrictions … I will advocate for restrictions, and I’m glad the Prime Minister supports my stance.”
The attack comes after Israeli media reported last weekend that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was planning to introduce severe limits on Arab Israelis’ access to Al Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan, based on a proposal by Mr Ben-Gvir.
According to the reports, Mr Ben-Gvir has recommended that only those aged over 60 be allowed to pray at the mosque.
There is already a total ban on West Bank Palestinians entering Israel and Jerusalem.