Gunmen wound at least five in Israeli city of Beersheba

On Sunday, Israel’s military removed dozens of Jewish worshippers who clashed with Palestinians after illegally entering a biblical shrine in the West Bank that was recently torched by Palestinians.

Palestinian media outlets named the attacker as Asam al-Araj from Shuafat, on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

Israeli police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld said that the man attempted to stab an Israeli policeman with a knife when he was shot. The last incident took place after nightfall at Kalandia, the main crossing point between east Jerusalem and the West Bank. The holy site, called the Noble Sanctuary by Muslims and the Temple Mount by Jews, is revered by both faiths and has been the scene of frequent clashes.

France has proposed action at the United Nations that could see an worldwide presence to ensure the status quo at the site, where Jews are allowed to visit but not pray.

Also on Saturday, Ahmad Majdalani, member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) executive committee, called upon member countries of the UN Security Council to vote for sending worldwide observers to the Palestinian territories.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday expressed concern about the outbreak of violence, calling on regional leaders to “tamp down” on rhetoric that might feed “violence or anger or misunderstanding”. Palestinians accuse Israel of trying to take over the Al-Aqsa compound.

Also Sunday, at least four Israeli cities, including the commercial capital Tel Aviv, have temporarily banned Arab laborers from working in their schools in an effort to calm tensions.

Meanwhile, Israeli hoteliers and other owners of tourism-based businesses are reporting a further decline in tourism on top of a 20-percent decrease this summer that preceded the current increase in violence.

Including alleged assailants, 41 Palestinians have been killed since the upsurge in violence began on October 1, while eight Israelis have died.

Israel on Sunday closed the only civilian crossing from Gaza into Israel, except for humanitarian cases, while damage was being repaired.

All of the incidents involved a Palestinian assailant attempting to stab an Israeli.

Khaled Dodin, director of the Hebron mayor office, told Xinhua that a 20-year-old Palestinian was shot dead by the Israeli army’s fire near the Israeli settlement of Kiryat Arba.

On Friday, Palestinian assailants firebombed the West Bank compound.

“I call on the parents to show responsibility for their children and tell us, the police, about any unusual behavior”, said Haim Shmueli.

Israeli authorities said Palestinian police beat at least a few of them with their batons and the butts of their guns.

Soldiers were forced to withdraw from the camp during confrontations with locals, who prevented them from delivering another demolition order to the home of another Palestinian who allegedly attacked Israelis earlier this month.

Also in Hebron, a Palestinian woman stabbed an Israeli border policewoman, cutting her hand, a police spokesman said. According to Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri: “The policemen fired and neutralised” the suspect. “When people are willing to come out to the streets and say this is worth my Saturday night… that gives me hope”.