Israeli police are set to seal off Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem as a response to an increase in violence and attacks.
The measure announced Wednesday morning by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and approved by his security cabinet will also be deploying six companies of Israeli military soldiers to reinforce police.
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.” In addition, permanent residency rights of terrorists will be revoked and their property confiscated. Israeli forces will also be allowed to demolish the homes of terrorists and no rebuilding will be allowed.
“Locking down East Jerusalem neighborhoods 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,” said Sari Bashi, Israel/Palestine country director at Human Rights Watch.
Violence has been ongoing since the Jewish new year last month over rumors that Israel was plotting to take over Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site. Though Israel has pushed back against the rumors as untrue, violence has spread across Israel and into the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Eight Israelis have died in a series of stabbings, shootings and the stoning of a car, while 29 Palestinians, including 12 dubbed by Israel as attackers, have been killed.
“Israel will settle accounts with the murderers, those who attempt murder, and all those who assist them,” Netanyahu said. “Not only will they not enjoy their privileges, but we will exact from them the full cost. Anyone who raises his hand to harm us — will pay dearly. And we will not hesitate to use all means at our disposal to restore peace to the cities of Israel.”
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday he would soon travel to the Middle East to help calm the situation, though it wasn’t immediately clear when he planned to go.
“I will go there soon, at some point appropriately, and try to work to reengage and see if we can’t move that away from this precipice,” Kerry told an audience at the Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.
(h/t CNN, The Guardian)
