Netanyahu rejects State Department’s claim of ‘excessive’ force

This month alone, more than 30 of the latter have been killed by Israeli security forces, while a few 1,700 have been hurt by Israeli gunfire, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

“A suggestion was raised that John Kerry and I and King Abdullah [of Jordan] and others would meet”, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday.

A Palestinian protester throws back a tear gas canister that was sacked by Israeli troops during clashes near Ramallah, West Bank, Thursday, October 15, 2015. The call was for Palestinians to join together and face up to the Israeli army in mass to “punish it for its crimes”.

“Abu Mazen’s comments last night were incitement and lies”, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement, using Abbas’ nom de guerre. Seven Israelis have died and dozens have been wounded.

Secretary of State John Kerry said he would soon travel to Israel to help “calm things down”.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas on Friday condemned a fire at a site revered by Jews in the West Bank, as Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian. Security officials said that Abbas is anxious that if he does not allow Palestinians to demonstrate against Israel, they will turn their anger against him.

Israel has set up roadblocks in the Palestinian neighbourhoods of Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem in a measure that Palestinian officials describe as collective punishment. A reporter for Palestine TV said a cameraman working for the channel was shot in the leg during the protest.

At least 31 Palestinians have been killed for attacking Israelis or throwing rocks and firebombs at Israeli soldiers.

The shrine is under Palestinian control and off-limits to Israelis except on escorted trips organised by the army.

He said the current wave of attacks is because of “Israel’s desecration of al-Aqsa”, meaning the reports that have engulfed the West Bank that Israel plans to change the status quo at the site that is holy to Jews and Muslims.

No draft resolution was presented to council members on Friday but French Ambassador Francois Delattre said he will circulate a draft statement appealing for calm.

“First of all, he isn’t dead, he’s alive, and second he isn’t innocent, he tried to kill a 13-year-old riding a bike, who was the true innocent”, Netanyahu said of the attack on Monday, which left the victim in serious condition.