The Palestinian Authority on Sunday condemned new Israeli punitive measures against Palestinians, mainly in East Jerusalem, saying the measures would spark further tension and violence.
Israeli media reported that the Israeli cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, decided on a series of punitive measures, including demolishing the family home of a Palestinian man who killed seven Israelis near a synagogue, depriving his family members of national insurance.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the decisions “are serious violations of international law and the Geneva Conventions and collective punishments to strike the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem and empty it.”
The “arbitrary” decisions reflect a colonial mentality based on the logic of force and the current Israeli escalation in the arena of conflict, which would pour oil on the fire as a prelude to detonating the entire arena of conflict, it said.
Since January, the tension between Israel and the Palestinians has been flaring. Around 32 Palestinians have been killed, and dozens injured by Israeli soldiers since January 1, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
On Friday evening, a Palestinian gunman opened fire near a synagogue in the settlement of Neve Yaakov in East Jerusalem, killing at least seven people and wounding three others.
On Saturday morning, a 13-year-old Palestinian shot injured two Israelis in an ambush on the streets of East Jerusalem. ■
