Netanyahu’s office announces move as part of package of ‘aggressive’ measures to stem wave of violence that has left 37 dead

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Israeli police will be authorised to seal off Palestinian areas of Jerusalem in response to continuing violence and attacks, part of a package of “aggressive” measures announced by the office of the prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu.



The controversial measure – approved by Netanyahu’s security cabinet – comes as the Israeli military announced it was preparing to deploy six companies of soldiers to reinforce police, also called for in the same meeting.

Announcing the measures early on Wednesday, Netanyahu’s office said he had ordered police to “impose a closure on, or to surround, centres of friction and incitement in Jerusalem, in accordance with security considerations”.

It also announced that a terrorist’s house that has been demolished will not be rebuilt, and that the permanent residency rights of terrorists will be revoked and their property confiscated.

The moves were criticised by Human Rights Watch, which warned that they risked inflaming an already dangerous situation.

“The recent spate of attacks on Israeli civilians would present a challenge for any police force,” said Sari Bashi, Israel/Palestine country director at Human Rights Watch. “But exacerbating the punitive policy of home demolitions is an unlawful and ill-considered response.”

“Locking down East Jerusalem neighbourhoods will infringe upon the freedom of movement of all Palestinian residents rather than being a narrowly tailored response to a specific concern. The checkpoints are a recipe for harassment and abuse.”

Among other moves disclosed were plans to hire 300 extra security guards to secure public transport in the city.

The violence erupted last month over the Jewish new year, fuelled by rumours that Israel was plotting to take over Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site. While Israel says the rumours are unfounded, clashes have quickly spread across Israel and into the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Eight Israelis have died in a string of stabbings, shootings and the stoning of a car, while 29 Palestinians, including 12 identified by Israel as attackers, have been killed. In the latest bloodshed, a 27-year-old Palestinian man was shot dead during a protest in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. The Israeli military said he was hurling a firebomb at a car.

The attacks have caused a sense of panic across Israel and raised fears that the region is on the cusp of a new round of heavy violence.

The violence also comes at a time when prospects for negotiating an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict appear bleak. It appears to have been fuelled by a deep sense of frustration among Palestinians, who believe that all paths to gaining independence and ending nearly half a century of Israeli occupation have been blocked.

In Tuesday’s violence, a pair of Palestinian men boarded a bus and began shooting and stabbing passengers, while another assailant rammed a car into a bus stop, then got out of his vehicle and began hacking bystanders with a long knife.

The near-simultaneous attacks, along with two stabbings in the central Israeli city of Ra’anana, marked the most serious outbreak of violence since the current round of tensions erupted.

The US condemned the attacks and called for calm.

“I continue to urge all sides to take affirmative steps to restore calm and I will stay in very close touch with leaders in the region in the days ahead,” said John Kerry, the US secretary of state.