On Friday, Israeli police arrested 42 people in connection with a deadly shooting at a synagogue in East Jerusalem. This tragic event resulted in the deaths of seven people and left at least three more injured, making it the deadliest attack of its kind in years. The attack occurred on Holocaust Memorial Day, a day that commemorates the six million Jews and other victims who were killed in the Holocaust by the Nazi regime in Germany.
The following day, another attack took place outside of the Old City, resulting in two people being injured. The attacker in this incident was identified as a 13-year-old boy, who was subsequently "neutralized" by the police. The attack occurred in the Silwan neighborhood, just outside of Jerusalem's Old City. The two individuals injured were a father and son, and were reported to be in a "moderate to serious condition".
In response to these attacks, authorities have positioned officers from a counter-terrorism unit "permanently" in the Jerusalem area to "promptly respond to exceptional events whenever necessary". The man who attacked the synagogue on Friday was identified by local media as a Palestinian from East Jerusalem, who police described as a "terrorist". Israeli police commissioner Kobi Shabtai, who was at the scene of the attack on Friday, called it "one of the worst attacks we have encountered in recent years."
The attack on the synagogue occurred while Israeli worshippers were gathered for prayers at the start of the Jewish Sabbath in the city's Neve Yaakov neighborhood. They were leaving the synagogue when the gunman opened fire, at around 8:15 PM local time. The police reported that they subsequently shot the attacker dead. Palestinian militant groups praised the attack, but did not claim responsibility for it.
Tensions have been high in the region since the killing of nine Palestinians - both militants and civilians - during an Israeli military raid in Jenin in the occupied West Bank on Thursday. This was followed by rocket fire into Israel from Gaza, which Israel responded to with air strikes.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly wrote on Twitter, "To attack worshippers at a synagogue on Holocaust Memorial Day, and during Shabbat, is horrific. We stand with our Israeli friends." President Joe Biden talked to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and offered all "appropriate means of support", according to a statement from the White House. Shortly after the incident, Mr. Netanyahu and controversial far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, visited the site. A spokesperson for the Israeli military said on Saturday that they were boosting their forces in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promises to bring safety back to Israel's streets, but there is rising anger that he has not yet done so. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was "deeply worried about the current escalation of violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory," according to a statement from his spokesperson. "This is the moment to exercise utmost restraint," said Stephane Dujarric.
It's worth noting that Israel has occupied East Jerusalem since the 1967 Middle East war and considers the entire city its capital, though this is not recognized by the vast majority of the international community. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the future capital of a hoped-for independent state. The recent events and the arrest of 42 people related to the attack on the synagogue, show the tension and the deep rooted political issues that exist in the region.
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