Palestinian gunmen kill a civilian near West Bank checkpoint

Three Palestinian gunmen on Thursday morning fired on cars waiting near a highway checkpoint near the Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Adumim, Israeli police said. Security forces killed two of the shooters at the scene and “neutralized” a third. The shooters killed one Israeli man and injured at least five other people, according to Israel’s emergency services organization. Local officials called the attack an act of terrorism, while Hamas reportedly issued a statement praising the shooting as a response to the Israeli “occupation” and actions in Gaza and the West Bank. Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the scene and said authorities should set up more roadblocks around Palestinian communities in the West Bank. 

What have world leaders said about Israel’s operations in the West Bank? The United States on Wednesday told the United Nations International Court of Justice that Israel’s need for security justifies the country’s occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The ICJ on Monday began a six-day hearing about the Israeli presence in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. Palestinian representatives accused Israel of “colonialism and apartheid,” while Israeli officials said they do not recognize the legitimacy of the hearing. The hearings will include testimony from representatives from more than 50 countries.

What is happening in Gaza? The United Kingdom on Wednesday partnered with the Jordanian Air Force to air-drop aid into northern Gaza for the first time since the war began. More than a dozen international aid groups on Wednesday released a letter calling for an immediate cease-fire, the release of hostages, and protections for aid workers.

Dig deeper: Listen to Jill Nelson’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast about the families of Israeli hostages calling for their loved ones’ release.