Israel Implements Severe Security Measures in Jerusalem

The Israeli government has approved unprecedented severe security measures to counter the recent wave of violence between Palestinians and Israelis. Reuters reported on Wednesday, October 22, that Israel has blocked Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem and deployed soldiers across cities nationwide. The report states that the Israeli security cabinet made this decision at midnight on Tuesday after armed Palestinians killed three Israelis and injured several others with knives and a gun. In the new wave of violence that began two weeks ago, seven Israelis and 30 Palestinians have been killed in Jerusalem and the West Bank. Meanwhile, the Israeli border police have used vehicles to block the exit of the Jabal Mukaber neighborhood in East Jerusalem and the homes of three Palestinians who were responsible for the bloody attack on Tuesday. Police forces are also inspecting the bodies of Palestinian motorcyclists and checking their identification documents. Palestinians living in East Jerusalem have identification documents similar to Israelis and, unlike West Bank Palestinians, can travel within Israel. However, Israel's security measures have provoked strong protests from the Palestinian Authority, with Dmitri Delyani, an official from the Fatah movement, describing the closure of Palestinian neighborhoods as 'collective punishment and a violation of all international laws.' Hamas spokesperson Hussam Badran stated that 'the decisions of the Israeli cabinet will not stop the Intifada, and people are not afraid of security restrictions.' Israel has announced that the primary goal of these security measures is to immediately stop stabbings and other attacks carried out by Palestinians against Israeli citizens.