Attacks in Israel: Netanyahu announces punitive measures

Israeli authorities strike back at Palestinians

Israel is taking steps to “strengthen” Jewish settlements after new terrorist attacks. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announces punitive measures against Palestinians in response to attacks that killed seven Israelis.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced a series of punitive measures against Palestinians in response to a pair of shootings in Jerusalem that left seven Israelis dead and five others seriously injured.

The steps, announced late Saturday night, include new steps to “fortify” Jewish settlements, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said.

The decision was made on the eve of the visit of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. The Biden administration opposes the construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories claimed by the Palestinians as the land of a future state.

Netanyahu’s security cabinet approved the measures after two shooting incidents, including an attack outside a synagogue in East Jerusalem on Friday night that killed seven people. His office said the security cabinet had agreed to cordon off the attacker’s house in preparation for its demolition.

Authorities also plan to eliminate welfare and health benefits for the families of the attackers, make it easier for Israelis to obtain weapons, and step up efforts to seize illegal weapons.

Before the security cabinet meeting, Netanyahu promised to take decisive and timely action after the two attacks. “Our response will be strong, fast and accurate,” he said. “We do not seek escalation, but we are ready for any scenario.”

The shooting over the weekend followed a deadly Israeli raid on the West Bank on Thursday that killed nine Palestinians, most of them militants. In response, Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired a barrage of rockets at Israel, triggering a series of retaliatory Israeli airstrikes. A total of 32 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting this month.

It remains unclear whether Israel’s moves will be effective. The attackers during the weekend skirmishes, including a 13-year-old boy, both appeared to have acted alone and were not part of organized militant groups.

In addition, Netanyahu could come under pressure from members of his government, a congregation of religious and ultra-nationalist politicians, to take even tougher measures. Such moves could provoke more violence and potentially drag Hamas militants in Gaza into the conflict.

A shooting outside a synagogue in East Jerusalem on Friday left seven Israelis dead and three injured before the shooter was killed by police. It was the deadliest attack on Israelis in 15 years. Authorities released the names of four victims. Among them were 14-year-old Asher Nathan; Eli Mizrahi, 48, and his wife, Natalie, 45; as well as 56-year-old Rafael Ben Eliyahu.

On Saturday, a 13-year-old Palestinian boy opened fire elsewhere in East Jerusalem, wounding an Israeli and his son, aged 47 and 23, medics said. The doctors added that both victims were fully conscious and were in the hospital in moderate to severe condition.

When police arrived at the scene, two bystanders with licensed weapons shot and overpowered the 13-year-old assailant, police said. The police confiscated the gun from him and took the injured teenager to the hospital.

US Secretary of State Blinken is expected to arrive in Israel on Monday. The Biden administration condemned Friday night’s shooting and called for calm on all sides, but provided few details on how it expects to advance those goals.