Israel sets 3-day West Bank closure after Palestinian attack

GENEVA: Israel’s cancellation of entry permits for Palestinians following a deadly attack in Tel Aviv may amount to collective punishment, which is banned under worldwide law, the United Nations’ top human rights official said on Friday.

Following security consultations, the Israeli Defense Ministry announced on Thursday it is retracting tens of thousands of permits allowing Palestinians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to enter Israel to meet their families and visit the Temple Mount.

Following the decision, the US State Department made a statement in support of Israel, but asking for the rights of Palestinians to be respected.

Highlighting Israeli settlement construction plans in its main front page news item, al-Quds said Israel approved two settlement construction plans in Jerusalem, disregarding worldwide opposition to settlement construction.

In a further step likely to raise tensions, newly appointed far-right Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman ordered that the return of the bodies of Palestinians killed in the violence to their relatives be halted.

Israel’s move has sparked outrage among Palestinians who believe that they have a duty to visit the al-Aqsa mosque and protect it from settler attacks during the holy month of Ramadan.

Two gunmen from the Palestinian village of Yatta entered Israel and opened fire in an outdoor market in Tel Aviv Wednesday night, injuring six and killing four.

When Israeli authorities detained the two Palestinians responsible for the attack, CNN’s Facebook page characterized the perpetrators as “terrorists”.

Ayrault told a news conference later he plans to set up working groups to see what incentives can be offered to the Israelis and Palestinians to come back to the negotiating table.

West Bank closures are often imposed ahead of holidays in Israel when there are fears of Palestinian attacks.

Israel is also set to deploy two additional battalions of troops to the occupied West Bank following the shooting.

The start of April’s Passover festival saw this type of shutdown.

Both shooters were apprehended after being shot and were identified as Muhammad Ahmad Moussa Makhamreh and Khalid Muhammad Moussa Makhamreh, two cousins from the town of Yatta near Hebron in the occupied West Bank. Most of the Palestinians were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities.

The violence had declined in recent weeks before Wednesday’s deadly shooting.

And all the surviving attackers collect PA checks, as do the families of what the PA calls the “martyrs” who die during their assaults.