Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a transition ceremony for the Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi in Jerusalem, Jan 16, 2023. (MAYA ALLERUZZO / POOL VIA REUTERS)
JERUSALEM – Israel plans to step up its campaign against Palestinian attackers in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, in remarks that followed a deadly ramming attack on the outskirts of Jerusalem.
"The cabinet is meeting today to prepare for an even broader action against those carrying out terrorism and their supporters in East Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, while preventing as much as possible harming those uninvolved," Netanyahu said, using a term common in Israel for the West Bank.
On Saturday, a Jewish settler fatally shot a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials said
On Saturday, a Jewish settler fatally shot a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials said.
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A number of Jewish settlers carrying pistols and one with a rifle had approached the village of Qrawat Bani Hassan and one fired a shot, killing 27-year-old Mothqal Rayyan, a Palestinian witness told Reuters.
According to the witness, the Israeli military arrived but only protected the settlers.
The Israeli military said its soldiers had been dispatched to the scene after riots erupted between dozens of Palestinians and Israelis. It said the soldiers had responded with riot dispersal measures and shooting into the air, after which the confrontation had ended.
The military said it was aware of reports that a Palestinian was evacuated to hospital before soldiers arrived and was killed as a result of a gunshot wound.
Israeli police told Reuters an inquiry had been opened into the events.
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Among the areas where Palestinians seek statehood, the West Bank has seen a spike in violence since Israel intensified raids last year in response to a series of street attacks in its cities.
Also on Saturday, one rocket was fired towards Israel from the Gaza Strip and was intercepted by Israeli aerial defenses, the military said. Sirens sounded in Israeli border communities, sending Israelis running to bomb shelters.
Separately, an eight-year-old Israeli was declared dead on Saturday, raising the death toll to three, after a Palestinian driver rammed his car into a group of people at a bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem on Friday, Israeli officials said.