JERUSALEM, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Israel announced a plan to construct a new road in the West Bank to support a cluster of Jewish settlements, following a shooting attack carried out by a Palestinian militant on Friday morning.
Israel's Transport Minister Miri Regev and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in a joint statement that in response to the attack, they would advance the immediate planning and construction of the road that will connect the block of settlements in Gush Talmonim to Route 443.
Route 443 traverses both Israeli territory and the West Bank, linking the central Israeli city of Lod with the West Bank Jewish settlement of Givat Zeev near Jerusalem. It passes south of Gush Talmonim, which is situated northwest of the Palestinian city of Ramallah.
A Palestinian fired at a minibus near the Dolev Jewish settlement in the early morning hours, sparking an hours-long gunfight that ended with the Palestinian being killed.
Israeli media said that at least seven Israelis were injured during the clash, two of whom were seriously wounded and one was in critical condition. ■
