Israel will “fortify” settlements as violence in occupied territories escalates

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday announced a series of punitive measures against the Palestinians, including plans to strengthen Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, in response to a pair of shootings that left seven Israelis dead and five others wounded.

The announcement threw a cloud over a visit next week from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and threatened to further escalate tensions after one of the bloodiest months in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in years.

Netanyahu’s security cabinet, which is filled by hardline politicians aligned with the West Bank settlement movement, approved the measures in the wake of a pair of shootings, including an attack outside a synagogue in East Jerusalem on Friday night that left seven people dead. came to life.

Netanyahu’s office said the security cabinet agreed to seal off the attacker’s house immediately before demolition. It also plans to withdraw Social Security benefits for the families of attackers, make it easier for Israelis to obtain gun permits and step up efforts to collect illegal guns.

The announcement said that in response to public Palestinian celebrations over the attack, Israel would take new steps this week to “strengthen the settlements.” It gave no further details.

There was no immediate response from the US. The Biden administration, which condemned the shooting, opposes settlement building in East Jerusalem and the West Bank – land sought by Palestinians for a future state. The topic will likely be high on the agenda as Blinken arrives Monday for talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials.

The weekend shootings followed a deadly Israeli raid on the West Bank on Thursday that left nine Palestinians dead. In response, Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired a barrage of rockets at Israel, triggering a series of Israeli airstrikes in response.

A total of 32 Palestinians have been killed in fighting this month.

For more information, watch Euronews’ report in the video above.