Israel’s internal security minister has said that the bodies of Palestinian attackers killed by the security services should not be returned to their families for burial.

Gilad Erdan’s proposal came as the Security Cabinet approved powers for police to close off Arab and Palestinian areas of Jerusalem, destroy attackers’ homes, confiscate their property and revoke permanent residency rights.

The public security minister claimed that funeral processions for people killed while attempting to harm Israelis turn into “an exhibition of support for terror and incitement to murder”.

“We must not allow that,” he added. “We must do everything so that the terrorist won't be able to merit honour and ceremonies after conducting an attack.”

Mr Erdan proposed that offenders instead be buried quietly at military cemeteries within Israel’s borders.

It was unclear whether Muslim burial rites would be respected, which stipulate that people are buried as quickly as possible, bathed and wrapped in white, with their bodies facing Mecca.

The UK’s minister for the Middle East, Tobias Elwood, urged all parties to refrain from violence and called on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to “avoid measures which could further fuel tensions”.

A spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy told The Independent that Mr Erdan’s proposal was not yet “official Israeli policy”.

Thousands of people have attended funerals for both Israelis and Palestinians killed in weeks of worsening violence, turning some processions into angry protests.

The Israeli–Palestinian conflict intensifies Show all 10 1 /10 The Israeli–Palestinian conflict intensifies The Israeli–Palestinian conflict intensifies Medics evacuate a wounded man from the scene of an attack in Jerusalem. A Palestinian rammed a vehicle into a bus stop then got out and started stabbing people before he was shot dead AP The Israeli–Palestinian conflict intensifies Israeli ZAKA emergency response members carry the body of an Israeli at the scene of a shooting attack in Jerusalem. A pair of Palestinian men boarded a bus in Jerusalem and began shooting and stabbing passengers, while another assailant rammed a car into a bus station before stabbing bystanders, in near-simultaneous attacks that escalated a month long wave of violence AP The Israeli–Palestinian conflict intensifies Youths attend the funeral of Ahmad Sharake who was shot during clashes with Israeli forces in Jelazun refugee camp, near Ramallah, West Bank. Tensions in the area continue to run high following a series of stabbing attacks that have occurred around Israel in clashes between Palestinian youths and Israeli security forces Getty Images The Israeli–Palestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians throw molotov cocktail during clashes with Israeli troops near Ramallah, West Bank. Recent days have seen a series of stabbing attacks in Israel and the West Bank that have wounded several Israelis AP The Israeli–Palestinian conflict intensifies Women cry during the funeral of Palestinian teenager Ahmad Sharaka, 13, who was shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes at a checkpoint near Ramallah, at the family house in the Palestinian West Bank refugee camp of Jalazoun, Ramallah AP The Israeli–Palestinian conflict intensifies A wounded Palestinian boy and his father hold hands at a hospital after their house was brought down by an Israeli air strike in Gaza Reuters The Israeli–Palestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians look on after a protester is shot by Israelis soldiers during clashes at the Howara checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus EPA The Israeli–Palestinian conflict intensifies A lawyer wearing his official robes kicks a tear gas canister back toward Israeli soldiers during a demonstration by scores of Palestinian lawyers called for by the Palestinian Bar Association in solidarity with protesters at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, near Ramallah, West Bank AP The Israeli–Palestinian conflict intensifies Undercover Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian in Ramallah Reuters The Israeli–Palestinian conflict intensifies Palestinian youth burn tyres during clashes with Israeli soldiers close to the Jewish settlement of Bet El, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, after Israel barred Palestinians from Jerusalem's Old City as tensions mounted following attacks that killed two Israelis and wounded a child

Hundreds attended the funeral held today for Moataz Zawahra, a 28-year-old Palestinian man killed by Israeli forces during clashes in Bethlehem on Tuesday.

His body was carried through the streets by mourners in a huge procession before the ensuing protests devolved into more conflict with troops, with some Palestinians throwing rocks as they were hit with tear gas and stun grenades.

Muhannad Halabi, the 19-year-old who stabbed two ultra-Orthodox Jewish men to death in Jerusalem on 3 October after claiming the “third intifada has begun”, was also mourned by thousands near Ramallah earlier this month.



Tuesday was the worst day of violence in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories since tensions erupted in September.

Three Israelis and three Palestinians, including two attackers, were killed and many more were injured in stabbings, shootings, rock-throwing and clashes with security forces on the day.

In Jerusalem this afternoon, a “terrorist” was shot dead near the walls of the Old City after an attempted stabbing.

A police spokesperson said there were no other injuries in the incident at Damascus Gate, where there were two other attacks on Saturday.

Eight Israelis have died in a string of stabbings, shootings and the stoning of a car, while 30 Palestinians - including 13 identified by Israel as attackers - have been killed in the last two weeks.