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Suspected Palestinian Terrorist Who Murdered Israeli Woman Found Dead, Police Say, Haaretz
The Palestinian man who attacked an 84-year-old woman in a central Israeli city was found hanged in central Tel Aviv Wednesday morning, police reported. A few days earlier, the man had been investigated twice by the police in the prior two weeks after he raised their suspicions, and he was released shortly after they verified his work permit. The elderly Israeli victim, Shlomit Ovadia, was beaten to death Tuesday on the street in Holon, in what police now believe was a terror attack. Visiting the scene, Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai described the incident as “a very serious terror attack.”
Young Palestinians Arm Themselves for a New Era of Violent Resistance, The Washington Post
Israeli officials fear that the black-market AK-47s, pistols, Kalashnikovs and M16s on display in the Jenin refugee camp will be directed at Israelis during the Jewish holidays that begin next week, as they brace for a new chapter of violent Palestinian resistance. Expectations of the passing of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas — the deeply unpopular, heavy-smoking 86-year-old autocrat who is believed to be in ill health — have already sparked a bloodier social order in this occupied city.
Israeli PM Meets Turkish President, First Time in 14 Years, AP
Israel’s prime minister has met with Turkey’s president for the first time in 14 years, the latest sign of warming ties between the two regional powers after a long and bitter rift. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said he met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the largest annual gathering of world leaders now underway in New York. In his meeting with Erdogan, Lapid said he “commended” the recent restoration of full diplomatic ties between the countries and the appointment this week of a new Israeli ambassador to Turkey.
IDF Announces Closures on West Bank, Gaza Crossings During Upcoming Holidays, The Times of Israel
The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday announced the closure of crossings with the West Bank and Gaza Strip during the upcoming Jewish holidays. In all cases, the Israel Defense Forces said the planned reopening of border crossings would be “subject to a situational assessment.”
Iran Nuclear Talks’ Key Players Converge at UN General Assembly, Al-Monitor
Not since Vienna served as the venue for negotiations early last month have the key players to the Iranian nuclear agreement been in the same city. This week, many of them will be in New York, where any signs of contact will be closely watched for hints of progress in the stalled talks. A day after his arrival to attend the UN General Assembly, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi met Tuesday with French President Emmanuel Macron in what marked Raisi’s first face-to-face meeting with the leader of a major Western country since his election in June 2021.
Palestinian Forces Strike Deal With Nablus Factions After Clashes, Haaretz
Representatives of the Palestinian faction of Nablus reached an agreement with the Palestinian Authority’s security forces on Wednesday, aiming to restore calm to the West Bank city that saw clashes erupt following arrests of Hamas operatives.
Israeli Troops Said to Rearrest Palestinian Who Went on 141-Day Hunger Strike, The Times of Israel
A Palestinian former detainee who went on a well-publicized 141-day hunger strike prior to his release was reportedly rearrested in a raid overnight Tuesday by Israeli security forces.
Life in an IDF Firing Zone: For These Palestinians, It’s a Daily Nightmare, Haaretz
Hagar Shezaf reports, “Fewer than six months after a court order expelling the inhabitants of Masafer Yatta from their homes, life in the area has changed beyond recognition. Day-to-day existence had always been difficult in the eight small villages scattered through the area in the absence of basic facilities, even before Israel declared the area a military firing zone, but in recent months it has grown even worse amid the constant presence of the Israeli army and live-fire training. Roadblocks between the villages make it harder for the inhabitants to get in and out, and roads are closed to non-residents. As a result, many villagers have stopped using their cars. As in the old days, they ride donkeys or they walk.”
