Palestinian man kills three Israelis near Jerusalem

A Palestinian man on Tuesday shot and killed three Israeli security officials and injured a fourth outside a West Bank settlement northwest of Jerusalem. Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the attacker, identified as 37-year-old Nimr Mahmoud Ahmed Jamal, approached a police checkpoint at the back entrance of the Har Adar settlement when the officers asked him to stop. The man opened fire at close range before police shot him dead. The Israelis killed in the attack include a police officer and two private security guards. Dr. Alon Pikarsky, head of surgery at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, said the injured man remained in stable condition after undergoing surgery to remove two bullets. Hundreds of Palestinians pass through the Israeli community checkpoint daily to work. Israel’s Shin Bet security service said Jamal, who had a valid Israeli work permit and a troubled life at home, acted alone. Authorities said Jamal’s wife recently fled to Jordan to escape his violence, leaving behind their four children. Since 2015, Palestinians have attacked Israelis and some foreigners in shootings and car attacks, prompting Israeli security crackdowns. Tuesday’s attack comes after several months of relative calm. In July, a shooting at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount prompted a new wave of violence.