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Terror Attack in West Bank Leaves 1 Dead, 11 Injured
Israeli officials work at the scene of a shooting attack by Palestinian gunmen near the Maale Adumim settlement, in the West Bank February 22, 2024. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
Three terrorists opened fire on Israelis sitting in traffic on Thursday morning, killing one and injuring 11 others, including a pregnant woman.
An IDF soldier who was recently released for reserve duty was one of those shot multiple times, but mustered enough strength to kill two of the terrorists, while a third was later “neutralized.”
The murdered Israeli was named as Matan Elmaliah, 26, from Ma’ale Adumim.
The attack occurred near at a checkpoint on Highway 1, the road connecting the Ma’ale Adumim settlements to Jerusalem. Police have said the three attackers were brothers Muhammad and Kathem Zawahra from Ta’amra and Ahmed Al-Wahsh from Za’atara. The man they killed was reported by Magen David Adom to be a man in his 20s.
Hanania ben Shimon was the fighter who took down the terrorists.
His father, Eric, speaking at the scene of the attack told the media “He was released a week and a half ago from Khan Younis, after serving in the Gaza Strip in the reserves for four months. When the terrorist stopped the vehicle on his left side, and started shooting, he fired the first bullet at him through the window, then he got out, rowed into contact, killed the terrorist and was wounded as well.”
A friend added “He is a hero. He is the beautiful of the Land of Israel. He returned last week from fighting in Khan Younis after three months in Gaza, got a gun license to save lives and started working as a travel security guard… When he was in Khan Younis, he told me how united the people of Israel are and how willing he is to risk himself for the country and for the citizens. Today these words take on a new meaning.”
The attack occured over an area of at least two kilometers, according to the director of the Jerusalem sector of Magen David Adom, Aviv Hovav. “[This] made it difficult for us to reach the victims,” he added. “The forces searched the scene, we passed by vehicles and began to evacuate and treat the victims. Due to the traffic jams, we had to evacuate some of the injured through the opposite land.” All of the wounded were transported to Jerusalem’s Shaare Tzedek Hospital.
One of the injured was a pregnant women who was in need of immediate surgery. Director of the Trauma Unit at the hospital, Dr. Alon Shortz, said “She arrived conscious and her life is not in danger… Regarding the fetus, it is too early to say. The condition is normal, but it’s hard to say what the condition will be.”
The checkpoint where the attack occurred has been pointed out by local Israeli lawmakers living in the area as a “death trap” in the waiting due to its heavy congestion and the fact that both Israelis and Palestinians traverse the road.
As was the case in Thursday’s attack, cars were unable to flee due to the traffic jam, allowing the terrorists to maximize their damage.
“We are in an emergency situation,” said Ma’ale Adumim Deputy Mayor Guy Yafarah. “The joint ride with the Palestinians on Route 1 is a ticking time bomb. The Israeli government must find an immediate solution and stop the shared travel of the residents of Ma’ale Adumim and the area with Palestinian vehicles. I demand the construction of the road…immediately.”
The post Terror Attack in West Bank Leaves 1 Dead, 11 Injured first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Trump Nominates State Dept Spokeswoman Bruce as US Deputy Representative to UN
FILE PHOTO: U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce speaks during her first press briefing at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 6, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
President Donald Trump said on Saturday he was nominating State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce as the next US deputy representative to the United Nations.
Bruce has been the State Department spokesperson since Trump took office in January.
In a post on social media in which Trump announced her nomination, the president said she did a “fantastic job” as State Department spokesperson. Bruce will need to be confirmed for the role by the US Senate, where Trump’s Republican Party holds a majority.
During press briefings, she has defended the Trump administration’s foreign policy decisions ranging from an immigration crackdown and visa revocations to US responses to Russia’s war in Ukraine and Israel’s war in Gaza, including a widely condemned armed private aid operation in the Palestinian territory.
Bruce was previously a political contributor and commentator on Fox News for over 20 years.
She has also authored books like “Fear Itself: Exposing the Left’s Mind-Killing Agenda” that criticized liberals and left-leaning viewpoints.
In a post after Trump’s announcement, Bruce thanked him and suggested that the role was a “few weeks” away. Neither Trump nor Bruce mentioned an exact timeline in their online posts.
“Now I’m blessed that in the next few weeks my commitment to advancing America First leadership and values continues on the global stage in this new post,” Bruce wrote on X.
Trump has picked former White House national security adviser Mike Waltz to be his U.N. envoy. Waltz’s Senate confirmation for that role, wherein he will be Bruce’s boss, is still due.
Waltz was Trump’s national security adviser until he was ousted on May 1 after he was caught up in a March scandal involving a Signal chat among top Trump national security aides on military strikes in Yemen. Trump then nominated Waltz as his U.N. ambassador.
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Iran Says IAEA Official to Visit for Talks, No Access to Nuclear Sites Planned
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addresses a special session of the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, June 20, 2025. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
A senior official from the U.N. nuclear watchdog will fly to Iran for talks on Monday, but no visit to nuclear sites is planned, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday.
Since Israel launched its first military strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites during a 12-day war in June, inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been unable to access Iran’s facilities, despite IAEA chief Rafael Grossi stating that inspections remain his top priority.
Iran has accused the agency of effectively paving the way for the bombings by issuing a damning report on May 31, which led the IAEA’s 35-nation Board of Governors to declare Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations.
Iran, which denies seeking nuclear weapons, said it remained committed to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
“Negotiations with the IAEA will be held tomorrow to determine a framework for cooperation,” Araghchi said on his Telegram account.
“A Deputy Director General of Grossi will come to Tehran tomorrow, while there are no plans to visit any nuclear sites until we reach a framework.”
Last month, Iran enacted a law passed by parliament suspending cooperation with the IAEA. The law stipulates that any future inspection of Iran’s nuclear sites by the IAEA needs approval by Tehran’s Supreme National Security Council.
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Over 400,000 Reservists Called to IDF as New Operation Expected to Start
Israeli Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara. Photo: Twitter
i24 News – The government is set to approve extending the mobilization, potentially issuing up to 430,000 reserve call-ups by November 30, 2025. This move prepares for a major military operation anticipated to occupy Gaza City, expected to last at least six months according to military forecasts.
Israel’s government legal advisor, Gali Baharav-Miara, affirmed on Sunday that despite significant legal challenges, particularly regarding the unequal burden placed on different populations, there is no alternative but to continue mobilizing reservists.
This decision supports the ongoing expanded military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
In parallel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are preparing a large-scale evacuation of Gaza City’s over 800,000 residents. This process will move civilians to the Mawasi humanitarian zone over the next six weeks, ahead of ground operations expected to begin thereafter.
To support the humanitarian effort, Israel plans to increase aid deliveries significantly. Daily aid truck convoys will increase from 300 to 1,200, with intensified aerial drops and the construction of additional distribution centers.
The mobilization will start next month with the deployment of the 146th and 98th Divisions. Overall, six IDF divisions, including the 162nd, 36th, 98th, Gaza Division, 99th, and 146th, will participate in the operation. The IDF anticipates encircling Gaza City by October 2025.
If hostage negotiations do not yield results, Israeli security officials estimate the occupation could continue for at least half a year, marking a significant escalation in a conflict that has now stretched over 22 months.