West Bank closed amid security concerns after Tel Aviv shootings
Print Edition
THE West Bank will be closed off until the end of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot tomorrow, the Israeli military said yesterday, citing security concerns following a Palestinian attack in which four civilians were shot dead.
It said that crossings will be open for “humanitarian and medical” cases and for Palestinians to worship at the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.
Police said tens of thousands of Palestinians attended prayers at the mosque yesterday, the first of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Police were on high alert in Jerusalem but prayers passed peacefully.
Much of the past months of violence stems from tensions at the hilltop compound.
Muslims refer to it as the Noble Sanctuary, and it is their third holiest site, after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.
It is the holiest site for Jews, who call it the Temple Mount because of the revered Jewish temples that stood there in biblical times.
West Bank closures are often imposed ahead of holidays in Israel when there are security fears of Palestinian attacks. Tensions are especially high now after Palestinian gunmen killed four people and wounded five others in a popular and crowded area of Tel Aviv on Wednesday night.
The military said it had arrested several people in connection with the attack.
Over the past eight months, Palestinians have carried out dozens of attacks on civilians and security forces, mostly stabbings, shootings and car ramming assaults that have killed 32 Israelis and two Americans. About 200 Palestinians have been killed during that time, most identified as attackers by Israel.
The assaults were once near-daily incidents but they have become less frequent in recent weeks.
The office of the United Nations’ High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, yesterday condemned the Tel Aviv shootings. Spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said Israel had an “obligation” to bring those responsible to account, but said some measures punish “thousands of innocent Palestinians” and could constitute “collective punishment.”
The military said the closure will end tomorrow night.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
