Your Wednesday Briefing – The New York Times

Violence in Israel and the West Bank

Hours after Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said last night that a military incursion aimed at Palestinian armed groups in the West Bank city of Jenin was wrapping up, five rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel, raising fears of more violence. No injuries were reported, and the Israeli military said the country’s air defense system had intercepted all five rockets.

The Palestinian death toll in the Jenin operation has risen to 12 and at least 120 people have been injured, Palestinian health officials said. Four of the casualties were under 18 years old, and Palestinian militant groups said five were fighters. An Israeli military spokesman said that a soldier had been killed “by gunfire” during the operation.

Yesterday, eight people were wounded when a Palestinian man carried out a car-ramming and stabbing attack in a residential area of Tel Aviv, the Israeli authorities said. A pregnant woman was injured and lost her baby, local media reported. The driver, who left his car and stabbed passers-by, was shot and killed by a civilian, Israeli security officials said.

Taking flight: As many as 3,000 of the Jenin refugee camp’s roughly 17,000 residents have sought shelter in schools and other public buildings or with families elsewhere.

Jenin: To many Israelis, the city and its environs are a dreaded incubator of terrorism that has claimed many lives over the years. To many Palestinians, it is a heroic symbol of resilience and resistance against Israeli rule and the rule of others who came before.

France holds hasty trials for hundreds

Over five nights of fury in France, after the fatal police shooting of a teenager, some 3,400 people were arrested. The justice system is running almost around the clock to process them, many through quick trials that are typically used for crimes like traffic violations or theft. Lawyers often have just 30 minutes to prepare, and cases often end in prison time.

After flooding the streets with 45,000 officers night after night, the French state is looking to send a second harsh message. Justice Minister Éric Dupond-Moretti called for a “firm hand” and advised prosecutors to seek prison sentences for people charged with physical assault or serious vandalism.

Among those arrested are paramedics, restaurant employees, factory workers, students and unemployed people. A majority had no criminal record, according to the French authorities. And most are minors: The average age of those arrested is 17, with some as young as 12. They go to a specialized court, where the process is slower and prison is seen as a last resort.

Damage: During the protests, more than 5,000 vehicles were burned, 1,000 buildings damaged or looted, 250 police stations or gendarmeries attacked and more than 700 officers injured.

A potential Russia-U.S. prisoner swap

Russia and the U.S. are in contact over the possibility of a prisoner swap, according to the Kremlin, apparently involving the jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. The discussions would “continue in complete silence,” a Kremlin spokesman said.

American officials have repeatedly called for the release of Gershkovich, who has been held for months on what the U.S. government has said are baseless allegations of espionage. He and Paul Whelan, a former Marine serving a 16-year sentence after being convicted in 2020 of spying, are considered ”wrongfully detained” by the U.S. — the equivalent of being political hostages.

The Kremlin statement was the latest acknowledgment from Moscow that Russia could be open to an exchange, although there have been no outward signs of any talks.

Other news from the war in Ukraine:

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