Tel Aviv

At least one person was killed and eight others were injured in a terror attack in the West Bank on Thursday (Feb 22) after three gunmen opened fire on several vehicles near a Jewish settlement, according to Times of Israel.

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Magen David Adom (MDA) director Elo Bin informed that the victims include three seriously wounded and two moderately hurt. The victims were waiting near az-Za’ayyem checkpoint between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim when the gunmen carried out the attack. 

"The three terrorists got out of their vehicle and started shooting from automatic weapons at vehicles that were standing in a traffic jam on the road towards Jerusalem," the force said in a statement.

The security forces immediately responded to the attack and neutralised two gunmen while the third fled the scene, albeit briefly. Following police searches in the area, the third gunman was also found and promptly shot, the Israeli Police added. 

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Assault rifles, makeshift submachine guns and a grenade were discovered from the gunmen who have been identified as residents of the Bethlehem area, per the police.

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US urges ICJ

The fresh attacks come hours after the United States urged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) not to remove Israel from the occupied West Bank and Gaza without security guarantees and considering Israel’s “very real security needs”. 

“Any movement towards Israel’s withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza requires consideration for Israel’s very real security needs,” Richard Visek, acting legal adviser at the US State Department told the court.

“We were all reminded of those security needs on October 7, and they persist. Regrettably, those needs have been ignored by many of the participants,” Visek added. 

Washington said the court should "not find that Israel is legally obligated to immediately and unconditionally withdraw from occupied territory". 

Also Read | Israeli cabinet rejects ‘unilateral’ recognition of Palestinian state, terms offer a ‘prize for terror’

The current hearings at the top UN court, scheduled to go on till February 26, are based on the General Assembly's request in 2022 to issue a non-binding opinion on the legal consequences of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. 

Israel, which is not participating in the hearings, said in a written statement that the UN court’s involvement could be harmful to achieving a negotiated settlement. 

(With inputs from agencies)