Israeli man killed in West Bank shooting, Netanyahu orders wider raids
An Israeli man was shot dead in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, while Israel's military said it killed a Palestinian man who tried to ram his vehicle into troops elsewhere in the territory. The developments came amid continuing tensions in the West Bank and drew a strong response from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In other developments across the region, Egypt, Jordan and Kuwait condemned a ballistic missile launch by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels at the Saudi capital Riyadh. Iranian authorities said they had shut a French language centre in Tehran, and six French nationals went on trial in Iraq over alleged links to the Islamic State group.
A 30-year-old Israeli man was killed near the Neve Tzuf settlement north of Ramallah, hours before the Yom Kippur holiday, widely considered the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Israel's military said the suspected attacker opened fire from a vehicle and then fled on foot. After a search, the military said the man, who was injured while fleeing, was detained at a hospital where he had gone for treatment.
According to the UN, it was the second time this year that an Israeli civilian had been killed in a confrontation with a Palestinian in the West Bank. Separately, less than an hour later, the military said it killed a Palestinian man who attempted a ramming attack against soldiers at an intersection near Jenin in the northern West Bank. It said it was searching for another man who had been in the car.
In a statement, Netanyahu called the attacks "despicable" and instructed the military to expand operations in the West Bank. Tensions have risen in the territory, and attacks by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinians have increased sharply. Earlier Sunday, Israeli troops carried out what was described as a large counterterrorism operation in the northern West Bank town of Al-Mughayyir. Palestinian officials said at least 28 people were detained.
Egypt, Jordan and Kuwait, in separate statements, said the Houthi attack on Riyadh threatened regional security and violated international law. They said their governments stood with Saudi Arabia. The Muslim World League also condemned the attack.
It was the first time Riyadh had been targeted since the escalation in fighting with the Iran-backed rebels opened a new front in the Iran war. Saudi Arabia said the missile was intercepted, and there were no reports of casualties or damage.
In Iran, authorities said they had closed a French language centre linked to the French Embassy in Tehran, accusing it of operating without a licence and carrying out activities against national security. The judiciary's Mizan news agency said the Tehran prosecutor's office ordered the closure after repeated warnings.
Mizan alleged that the centre had used language courses as cover for projects including identifying and networking with Iranian elites and helping them leave the country. It did not provide evidence. There was no immediate comment from the embassy.
In Iraq, six French nationals suspected of being members of the Islamic State group have stood trial, Iraqi judicial and security officials told The Associated Press. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media, said several proceedings could be needed before a verdict is delivered.
The six are among 47 French nationals held in Iraq who were repatriated early this year from neighbouring Syria, where they were among thousands of people suspected of links to IS. Overall, Saturday's developments reflected a region dealing with violence, cross-border tensions and legal action linked to security concerns.
