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US officials said on Monday evening (local time) that the forensic investigation into the bullet that is said to have killed Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh did not yield a clear-cut result as it was too badly damaged.
While the Americans said that the bullet was “likely” fired from an Israeli position, the analysis “found no reason to believe that this was intentional but rather the result of tragic circumstances during an IDF-led military operation against factions of Palestinian Islamic Jihad,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
Price, announcing the results of the probe, said that “independent, third-party examiners” had undertaken an “extremely detailed forensic analysis” of the bullet.
The Israel Defense Forces said that while the bullet remained in the custody of US officials throughout the process, it was examined by Israeli experts in a forensic laboratory in Israel.
According to Prime Minister Yair Lapid: “The IDF investigation was unable to determine who is responsible for the tragic death of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.”
Lapid asserted: “The IDF’s operational activity to eradicate terrorism will continue wherever necessary,” adding that “as the Israeli prime minister, I give full and unequivocal backing to troops who are risking their lives to protect our citizens from terrorism.”
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Israeli forces arrested six individuals suspected of terrorist activities during an overnight operation in the West Bank, the IDF said in a statement Tuesday morning.
The joint operation included units from the Israel Defense Forces, Shin Bet internal security service and Israel Border Police.
Counterterrorism activities were conducted in several Palestinian towns, including Bayt Furik and ad-Dhahiriya. In Wadi Brukin, two terrorism suspects were apprehended and illegal weapons confiscated. Gunfire was reported in the vicinity of the troops. IDF soldiers also operated in the town of Tamun and arrested a wanted suspect.
Israel has stepped up its counterterrorism activities in the West Bank in recent months in response to a wave of deadly terrorist attacks.
Relatedly, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish man was stabbed on Tuesday morning near the central city of Bnei Brak. The 47-year-old victim was transported to Tel Hashomer Hospital in Ramat Gan in moderate condition, but was later listed in serious condition.
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A person of interest connected to an attack where six people were killed and many others were injured during a shooting at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois has been captured following an hours-long manhunt.
The mass shooting in one of the most heavily Jewish suburbs in the Chicago area occurred as a klezmer band was playing during a Fourth of July parade. A congregant and staff member of a local synagogue were among those murdered.
“There is information about Jewish casualties,” Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told its staff, adding that its Chicago-based consul general, Yinam Cohen, was in touch with both authorities and local Jewish communities.
At least a third of the 30,000 residents in the suburb along Lake Michigan about 25 miles north of Chicago are Jewish, according to some estimates, and they include many Israelis.
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President Isaac Herzog and his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda agreed to move towards restoring full bilateral ties, according to a statement released by Herzog’s office.
Relations between the two countries deteriorated sharply last year after the Polish parliament passed legislation effectively prohibiting any future restitution to the heirs of property seized by the Nazis during World War II.
In response, then-Foreign Minister Yair Lapid described the law as “antisemitic and immoral.”
During Monday’s telephone conversation between the two leaders, Duda appeared to heed Herzog’s call for a return of ambassadors by confirming that Warsaw would appoint a new envoy to Israel soon.
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One hundred and fifty new immigrants from Ethiopia landed at Ben-Gurion Airport as part of Operation Tzur Israel (Rock of Israel), in cooperation with the Aliyah and Integration Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Jewish Agency and the Fellowship.
Most of the immigrants are between the ages of 21 to 35. Operation Tzur Israel was renewed by virtue of a government decision in November 2021 led by Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata.
In the upcoming months, 3,000 additional family members of Israeli-Ethiopians will immigrate as part of this operation. In the first phase of Operation Tzur Israel, 2,000 immigrants arrived in Israel.
“It is a great privilege for me to lead a government decision that unites divided families between two continents for decades,” said Tamano-Shata.
Recommended Reading
- Artists Under Fire: The BDS War Against Celebrities, Jews, and Israel (Abigail R. Esman, Algemeiner)
- ‘Profound Change in Saudi Arabia Could Bode Well for Future Jerusalem-Riyadh Ties’ (Yoav Limor, Jewish News Syndicate)
- The Best Defense Is a Good Offense (Vice Adm. (ret.) Eliezer Marom, Israel Hayom)
- Israelis Show Little Voter Fatigue Despite Frequent Elections (Jerusalem Post, Keren Setton/The Media Line)
- Out of This World – Helmet That Reads Your Mind (John Jeffay, NoCamels)
