The terror strike follows an ongoing wave of violence gripping the West Bank and Israel since the summer of 2021. Hamas detailed the reasons behind the shooting, and in part, blamed recent Israeli operations in the West Bank as a factor. Israeli and Palestinian media identified Khawaja as a resident of the West Bank town of Ni’lin, near Ramallah. It began with a rise in armed clashes between Palestinian militants and Israeli security forces in the West Bank in June. [See FDD’s Long War Journal report, Analysis: West Bank Violence Trending Upward.]

Source: New York Times March 10, 2023 23:31 UTC