A Palestinian tries to dodge rubber-coated bullets during clashes with Israeli troops near Ramallah, West Bank
The Israeli military began deploying hundreds of troops in Israeli cities yesterday to assist police forces in countering a wave of deadly Palestinian shooting and stabbing attacks that have created panic across the country.
The military’s deployment of six companies marks the first implementation of measures by Israel’s security cabinet to counter the attacks that have intensified dramatically in recent days. The cabinet met late into the night and announced steps early yesterday that included allowing police to seal off points of friction or incitement. Many of the recent attackers have come from Arab areas of Jerusalem, prompting calls to seal off those neighborhoods to contain potential attackers.
The cabinet also decided to strip residency rights and demolish homes of some attackers and draft hundreds more security guards to secure public transport.
Israeli police said 300 soldiers had already been incorporated into their deployment on the streets.
Also yesterday, Israel’s internal security minister said the bodies of dead Palestinian attackers should not be returned to their families for burial.
Gilad Erdan said the funeral processions of Palestinians who killed Israelis often turn into “an exhibition of support for terror and incitement to murder.” He said Israel should not allow them to “enjoy respect and ceremonies” after their deaths.
The funerals are a frequent flashpoint for clashes and often include calls for revenge. Erdan suggested the attackers be buried without fanfare in distant cemeteries where previous Palestinian killers have been buried.
The comments come after a particularly bloody day in which a pair of Palestinian stabbing and shooting attacks in Jerusalem killed three Israelis and another two attacks took place in the normally quiet Israeli city of Raanana. Three Palestinians, including two attackers, were also killed.
The government has thus far been unable to stop the violence, carried out mostly by young Palestinians unaffiliated with known militant groups and apparently acting on their own. Aron Heller, Jerusalem, AP
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