Israeli military forces shot and killed two gunmen near Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Friday, saying they thwarted a "terror attack against Israeli civilians." The army reported the assailants were armed with an M16 rifle and a handgun, and that at least five people were wounded, some critically. Following the incident, the prime minister's office ordered the army to prepare for a full closure of the West Bank.
The violence comes just days before Israeli voters head to the polls Tuesday to decide whether to grant Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu another term. Arab political parties have petitioned the Supreme Court to ban partisan election observers from carrying guns at polling stations, citing safety concerns after Netanyahu allies announced plans to deploy about 2,000 observers to Arab neighborhoods.
In Jordan, gunmen opened fire at a church in Karak, about 110 miles south of Amman, causing an unspecified number of deaths and injuries. Security services are investigating the attack on the city, which has a minority Christian population and was the site of a 2016 Islamic State attack that killed 14 people. No group has claimed responsibility for Friday's shooting.
Meanwhile, UNICEF reported that more than 350 children have been killed in Gaza since an agreement was reached last October. Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF's regional director, called the level of violence against children "unacceptable." The World Food Program also announced it has reduced assistance recipients in Gaza from 1.6 million to 1.1 million due to a severe funding shortfall, with residents reporting bakery closures and soaring flour prices.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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