Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Who Shot Dead Soldier

Israeli police officers stand next to the body of Palestinian attacker at the scene of a shooting attack outside the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, in the West Bank, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Israeli police officers stand next to the body of Palestinian attacker at the scene of a shooting attack outside the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, in the West Bank, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
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Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Who Shot Dead Soldier

Israeli police officers stand next to the body of Palestinian attacker at the scene of a shooting attack outside the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, in the West Bank, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Israeli police officers stand next to the body of Palestinian attacker at the scene of a shooting attack outside the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, in the West Bank, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

A Palestinian gunman who killed an Israeli soldier earlier this month was shot dead Wednesday after opening fire at a security guard at a West Bank settlement near Jerusalem, Israel’s prime minister said.

Yair Lapid said Uday Tamimi, from the Shuafat refugee camp near Jerusalem who was the subject of a more than weeklong manhunt, was killed by Israeli security forces.

Police commander Uzi Levy told reporters that Tamimi opened fire at security guards at the entrance of Maale Adumim.

Levy said that Tamimi was armed with a pistol and was carrying an explosive device.

Paramedics said a security guard was treated for a gunshot wound to the hand.

On Oct. 8, Tamimi allegedly fired at a checkpoint from close range, killing a 19-year-old female Israeli soldier and severely wounding a security guard before disappearing toward Shuafat. Israeli security forces placed a cordon around the refugee camp in east Jerusalem as the manhunt dragged on for days.

Lapid said that Israel “will act with a heavy hand and not hesitate against terror.”

Hazem Qassem, a spokesman for the militant Hamas group that controls Gaza, said the killing of Tamimi will not stop the uprising in the West Bank.

Tamimi “will remain a national Palestinian icon,” he said, The Associated Press reported.

More than 120 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting this year, making 2022 the deadliest year since 2015. The Israeli army said most of the Palestinians killed have been militants. But stone-throwing youths protesting the incursions and others not involved in confrontations have also been killed.

Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war. The area is now home to roughly 500,000 Israeli settlers. The international community widely considers the settlements illegal and obstacles to peace.

The Palestinians claim all of the West Bank, along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, for a future independent state.



Trump's Syria Policy Dominates Opening of 'Astana 22' Talks

The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia and Iran meet in New York in September. (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia and Iran meet in New York in September. (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
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Trump's Syria Policy Dominates Opening of 'Astana 22' Talks

The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia and Iran meet in New York in September. (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia and Iran meet in New York in September. (Turkish Foreign Ministry)

The 22nd round of the Astana peace talks on Syria kicked off in Kazakhstan’s capital on Monday. The talks, held over two days, brought together Syria’s government, opposition and guarantor states Russia, Iran and Türkiye, with observers from Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and the UN.

The talks, initiated by Russia and supported by Türkiye and Iran, will focus on key issues such as the potential shifts in US policy toward Syria under President-elect Donald Trump, according to Russian presidential envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev.

The talks will also address regional tensions, including the spread of the Gaza conflict into Lebanon, ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Syria and concerns over the risk of the regional conflict expanding further.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov stressed the importance of meeting before the end of the year to set priorities for Syria and the region.

This comes after the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights revealed a “secret” Russian-Syrian agreement to limit the movement of Hezbollah, Iranian forces and Iranian-backed militias in Syria.

As well as the Syrian conflict, the talks will cover issues such as prisoner releases, missing persons, humanitarian conditions, international support for peace efforts, Syria’s reconstruction and the return of refugees.

The current round of talks will focus on the political and military situation around Syria.

Lavrentiev said Russia will do everything possible to prevent the Gaza conflict from spreading to Syria.

Potential changes in US policy toward Syria under Trump are a major topic for discussion among the ceasefire guarantors, he added. Russia will focus on concrete actions and proposals, rather than just statements, especially as expectations grow that Trump will follow through on his pledge to withdraw US troops from Syria.

This move could shift the balance of power and affect the actions of various parties. The withdrawal is a key demand for Russia, Iran and Türkiye, the three guarantor states of the Astana process.