Security forces close the house of the perpetrator of a bloody attack in Jerusalem

[ad_1]

Israeli police said on Sunday that they had sealed off the home of a terrorist who killed seven and wounded three in Friday’s terrorist attack in the Neve Ya’akov neighborhood of East Jerusalem.

Troops sealed off Alqam Khairi’s house before demolishing the home in the At-Tur neighborhood of East Jerusalem.

Security forces had already forced the residents to leave the house shortly after the attack on Friday night. On Saturday, police said 42 of Khairi’s friends and acquaintances had been arrested.

Khairi’s home was sealed hours after the high-level security cabinet met and decided on the matter.

Before the meeting, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir attacked Attorney General Ghali Bahrav Mayara, accusing her of not allowing the security forces to seal the home of the Palestinian terrorist who carried out the shooting.

Get The Times of Israel Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories

By registering, you agree to the terms

Bahrav Mayari quickly denied the allegation.

Prosecutor Ghali Bahrav Mayara is seen during her welcome party in Jerusalem, February 8, 2022. (Courtesy Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Bahrav-Mayara has frequently found herself at odds with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new government since it was sworn in last month, particularly over its far-reaching plans to overturn the justice system and appoint three-time convicted Shas leader Aryeh Deri as minister. .

Sealing off attackers’ homes is often an alternative or temporary solution to demolishing them. In general, the demolition process takes several months, as the house needs to be mapped out, the High Court must process appeals from the family, and security forces often wait for the optimal time to enter Palestinian cities or neighborhoods for the process.

In addition to closing the house, Netanyahu said the security cabinet had decided on a series of steps to “fight terrorism and exact a price from terrorists and their supporters” during a meeting late Saturday night after the deadliest terrorist attack against Israelis in more than a decade.

A charitable shooter killed seven people and wounded three near a synagogue in the Neve Ya’akov neighborhood of Jerusalem on Friday night. In a second attack, a 13-year-old Palestinian shot and wounded two people outside the capital’s Old City on Saturday.

Netanyahu said that in response to the attacks and subsequent celebrations in Palestinian cities, officials decided to take steps to “strengthen the settlements” in the coming week, without providing further details.

Mourners attend the funeral of Eli Mizrahi and his wife Natalie, victims of the Friday terror attack in Jerusalem, at a cemetery in Beit Shemesh, Jan. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Ministers chose to cancel National Insurance and other benefits for families of terrorists who support their actions.

Netanyahu also said that “thousands of civilians” would be granted permits to carry firearms by speeding up and expanding the licensing process.

Additional soldiers and police will be deployed, Netanyahu said, and security forces will embark on a series of operations to gather intelligence, seize illegal firearms and make arrests.

The prime minister urged Israelis to abide by the law in the aftermath of the attacks. Police and security officials said they were concerned about possible revenge attacks by far-right extremists against Palestinians.

Bin Gvir, a member of the cabinet, said after the meeting that he would soon propose a law allowing the death penalty against terrorists.

Police at the site of a terror attack in Jerusalem on January 28, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Also present at the security cabinet meeting was Shas leader Aryeh Deri, who was disqualified as minister due to his multiple previous criminal convictions but was invited by Netanyahu to participate as an observer.

Also on Saturday, a Palestinian gunman opened fire at a restaurant near the Almog junction near Jericho in the West Bank, causing no injuries. On Saturday evening, a Palestinian man armed with a pistol was shot dead by a security guard near the Kedumim settlement in the northern West Bank.

Friday’s attack came after days of violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Tensions have escalated dramatically since Thursday morning, when an IDF raid in the West Bank on a terrorist cell killed nine Palestinians – mostly militants and cell members, although at least one civilian was killed.

The IDF said Thursday’s operation in the Jenin refugee camp was necessary to thwart plans for an imminent attack by a local terror cell affiliated with Islamic Jihad. The Israeli military said the group had prepared explosives and firearms.

Hamas hailed Friday’s attack as a response to Thursday’s IDF operation, but no armed group has claimed responsibility for it.

Thursday night witnessed rocket fire from the Palestinian factions in Gaza and retaliatory Israeli air strikes.

You are a dedicated reader

We’re really glad you’ve read our X Times of Israel articles in the past month.

That’s why we started The Times of Israel ten years ago – to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.

So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we don’t put a paywall. But since the journalism we do is expensive, we invite readers to whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining the Times of Israel community.

For as little as $6 a month, you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel ad-free, plus access to exclusive content only available to Times of Israel community members.

Thank you, David Horowitz, founding editor of The Times of Israel

Join our community Join our community Already a member? Log in to stop seeing this

[ad_2]