The civilian security team from the Kedumim settlement in the northern Jewish-occupied West Bank killed an armed Palestinian on Saturday who was trying to enter the settlement apparently with the intention of carrying out an attack, which would be the fourth in the area in little more than 24 hours.
“A short time ago, a terrorist armed with a pistol was identified on the outskirts of the Kedumim community and was neutralized by the community’s civilian security team,” the Israeli army confirmed in a statement early Sunday.
A local watchman “detected suspicious movement” and called the Kedumim security patrol to the scene, which spotted “an armed terrorist trying to enter the settlement, warned him, shot and killed him,” the Yesha Council reported, entity that brings together all the settlements in the occupied West Bank. “The terrorist could not penetrate the ancients and there were no victims,” ??they add. Kedumim is the colony where the extremist Bezalel Smotrich, current Minister of Finance, lives.
Had it not been thwarted, this would have been the fourth Palestinian attack in just over 24 hours against Israeli targets, in response to Thursday’s violent Israeli raid on the Jenin Palestinian refugee camp in the northern West Bank, which resulted in serious clashes with militants and in which 9 Palestinians were killed.
On Friday night, a 21-year-old Palestinian killed seven Israelis, including a 14-year-old boy, while leaving Shabbat prayers at a synagogue in the Neve Yaakov settler settlement in occupied East Jerusalem, wounding three others. The attacker died after being neutralized by the Police and more than 40 people have been arrested in this case.
On Saturday morning, a 13-year-old Palestinian teenager opened fire in the City of David Jewish settlement, in the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan, also in East Jerusalem, seriously wounding two Israelis, a father and a son. The shooting ended when two members of the attacked group of Israelis returned fire with their own weapon and neutralized the assailant, who is in serious condition.
And in the afternoon, another Palestinian gunman opened fire at a restaurant located in another settlement in the occupied West Bank, near Jericho, but his weapon misfired and no injuries were reported.
Given these events, the Israel Police Commissioner, Yaakov Shabtai, asked citizens who have a weapons license to carry them as a security measure, and Prime Minister Beniamín Netanyahu announced after the emergency meeting with his security cabinet that more weapons permits will be granted among civilians as a “life saving” measure.
“This government will act against terrorism with vigour, determination and force,” Netanyahu said, but at the same time asked to stop the spiral of violence. “Although we are not looking for an escalation, we are prepared for any scenario,” said the prime minister, calling on the Israelis “not to take the law into their own hands.”
Netanyahu also announced a series of punitive measures against the Palestinians, including plans to reinforce Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. The security cabinet has agreed to seal the attacker’s house before ordering its demolition and also plans to cancel social security benefits for the families of the attackers. According to the communication from the prime minister’s office, the government will take new measures to “strengthen the colonies”, without elaborating.
