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WORLD NEWS Saturday 9 april 2022
Israeli forces kill Palestinian attacker; third victim dies

By JOSEPH KRAUSS
Associated Press
JERUSALEM (AP) — A third
Israeli has died following
the attack by a Palestinian
man who opened fire into
a crowded bar in central
Tel Aviv. Israeli security forc-
es said they hunted down
and killed the attacker ear-
ly Friday.
The shooting on Thursday
evening in a downtown
area packed with people
in bars and restaurants
caused scenes of mass
panic in the heart of the
bustling city. Two peo-
ple were instantly killed
and over 10 people were
wounded.
A Tel Aviv hospital on Friday
afternoon announced that
Barak Lufan, 35, who was Israeli security forces search for assailants near the scene of a shooting attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, April 7, 2022.
wounded in the shooting Associated Press
had succumbed to his in-
juries. was busy. In April 2002, Israeli forces Jordanian and Palestinian Israel captured east Jerusa-
It was the fourth deadly In videos spread on social fought Palestinian militants leaders have held a flurry of lem, the West Bank and the
attack in Israel by Palestin- media, dozens of terrified in the camp for nearly three meetings in recent weeks Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mid-
ians in three weeks, and people were seen run- weeks. Twenty-three Israeli to discuss ways to maintain east war. The Palestinians
came at a time of height- ning through the streets soldiers and at least 52 Pal- calm. want all three territories to
ened tensions around the as police searched for estinians, including civilians, Israel has taken a number form their future state. The
start of Ramadan. Tens of the attacker and ordered were killed, according to of steps aimed at calming last substantive peace talks
thousands of Palestinians people to stay indoors. The the United Nations. tensions, including issuing broke down more than a
attended the first Friday two killed on the spot were The Israeli military frequent- thousands of additional decade ago, and Bennett
prayers of the Muslim holy identified as Tomer Morad ly conducts arrest raids in work permits for Palestin- is opposed to Palestinian
month in Jerusalem amid a and Eytam Magini, child- Jenin, often coming under ians from the Hamas-ruled statehood, though he sup-
heavy Israeli security pres- hood friends in their late 20s fire. The Palestinian Author- Gaza Strip. But the attacks ports steps to improve their
ence, with no immediate from Kfar Saba, a town just ity, which administers parts have set off growing calls in economy and quality of
reports of unrest. north of Tel Aviv. of the occupied West Bank Israel for a tougher crack- life.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Hundreds of Israeli police and coordinates with Israel down. Israel annexed east Jerusa-
Bennett met with top securi- officers, canine units, and on security matters, ap- Israel allowed Palestinian lem in a move not recog-
ty officials and announced army special forces, had pears to have little control women, children and men nized internationally and
that a major crossing in the conducted a massive man- over the area. over 40 from the occupied considers the entire city
northern West Bank near hunt throughout the night After Thursday's attack, 13 West Bank to pray at the Al- to be its capital. It is build-
the attacker's hometown across Tel Aviv, search- Israelis have been killed in Aqsa Mosque in east Jeru- ing and expanding Jew-
would be closed indefi- ing building by building recent weeks, making this salem on Friday. The Muslim ish settlements in the oc-
nitely. "Every murderer will through densely populated one of the worst waves of body that oversees the site cupied West Bank, which
know that we'll get to him, residential neighborhoods. violence in years. said 80,000 people attend- most of the international
and anyone who helps ter- Early Friday, authorities said The militant Hamas group ed the weekly prayers. community considers ille-
rorists should know that the they found the attacker that rules the Gaza Strip Police mobilized thousands gal.Israel withdrew soldiers
price he will pay will be un- hiding near a mosque in praised the attack but did of forces in and around the and settlers from Gaza in
bearable," Bennett said in Jaffa, an Arab neighbor- not claim responsibility. Old City, home to Al-Aqsa 2005. But along with neigh-
a statement. hood in southern Tel Aviv, President Mahmoud Ab- and other holy sites sacred boring Egypt, it imposed a
Israel proceeded with and killed him in a shoot- bas, who heads the PA, to Jews, Christians and crippling blockade on the
plans to allow Palestinian out. condemned the attack, Muslims. territory after the militant
women, children and older The Shin Bet internal secu- saying the killing of civilians The Al-Aqsa Mosque is the Hamas group seized power
men from the occupied rity service identified the on either side "can only third holiest site in Islam and from rival Palestinian forces
West Bank to enter Jeru- attacker as Raad Hazem, lead to a further deteriora- sits on a hilltop that is the two years later. Israel and
salem for prayers. Protests a 28-year-old Palestinian tion of the situation." most sacred site for Jews, Hamas have fought four
and clashes in the holy city from Jenin, in the occupied All of the attackers appear who refer to it as the Tem- wars since then.
during Ramadan last year West Bank. It said he did to have acted individu- ple Mount. The holy site has Israel says the conflict
eventually ignited an 11- not belong to an organized ally or with minimal support long been a flashpoint for stems from the Palestinians'
day Gaza war. militant group and had no from a small cell. Three of Israeli-Palestinian violence. refusal to accept its right to
Thursday's shooting took prior record. It said he had them are believed to have Israel has worked to side- exist as a Jewish state and
place in a crowded bar entered Israel illegally with- identified with the extrem- line the Palestinian issue in blames attacks in part on
on Dizengoff Street, a cen- out a permit. ist group Islamic State. But recent years, instead fo- incitement on social me-
tral thoroughfare that has The Jenin refugee camp militant groups do not ap- cusing on forging alliances dia. Palestinians say such
seen other attacks over was the scene of one of pear to have trained them with Arab states against attacks are the inevitable
the years. Thursday night is the deadliest battles of the or organized the attacks. Iran. But the century-old result of a nearly 55-year
the beginning of the Israeli second Palestinian intifada, Seeking to avoid a repeat conflict remains as intrac- military occupation that
weekend, and the area or uprising, 20 years ago. of last year's war, Israeli, table as ever. shows no sign of ending.q