Disguised Israeli forces kill 3 militants in West Bank hospital

JENIN, West Bank • Israeli forces disguised as civilians and medics stormed a hospital Tuesday in the occupied West Bank, killing three Palestinian militants in a dramatic raid that underscored how deadly violence has spilled into the territory from the war in Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile ruled out a military withdrawal from Gaza or the release of thousands of jailed militants — Hamas’ main two demands for any cease-fire — casting doubt on the latest efforts to end a war that has destabilized the broader Middle East.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said Israeli forces opened fire inside the Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin. A hospital spokesperson said there was no exchange of fire, indicating it was a targeted killing.

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GOP moves toward impeaching Mayorkas

WASHINGTON • House Republicans were ready to take a key vote Tuesday toward impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over what they call his “willful and systematic” refusal to enforce immigration laws as border security becomes a top 2024 election issue.

The Homeland Security Committee is pushing through a day-long hearing on two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas, a rare charge against a Cabinet official, as Republicans make GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump’s hard-line deportation approach to immigration their own.

The articles charge that Mayorkas “willfully and systematically refused to comply with Federal immigration laws” amid a record surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border and that he has “breached the public trust” in his claims to Congress that the border is secure. A committee vote would send the articles to the full House for a vote as soon as next week.

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Syphilis numbers rise across United States

NEW YORK • The U.S. syphilis epidemic isn’t abating, with the rate of infectious cases rising 9% in 2022, according to a new federal government report on sexually transmitted diseases in adults. But there’s some unexpected good news: The rate of new gonorrhea cases fell for the first time in a decade.

It’s not clear why syphilis rose while gonorrhea dropped 9%, officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, adding that it’s too soon to know whether a downward trend is emerging for the latter.

They are most focused on syphilis, which is considered more dangerous than gonorrhea or chlamydia. Total cases surpassed 207,000 in 2022, the highest count in the United States since 1950, according to data released Tuesday.

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