Kerry to visit Mideast to discuss Syria, Israeli-Palestinian violence

His visit would focus on “stopping the violence in Israel, Jerusalem and the West Bank”, as well as on Syria and the Islamic State, the officials said.

An eyewitness in the town of Kiryat Gat told Israeli media that a knife-wielding attacker ran toward the victims shouting “God is great” in Arabic.

That attack killed three people, including an Israeli and 18-year-old American Ezra Schwartz, who was studying in Israel.

Highlighting Israeli tightened restrictions in the southern West Bank district of Hebron in the aftermath of the deadly shooting attack in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc, al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida reported that Israeli military has blocked several roads with earth mounds.

Since then, the wave of violence has left 86 Palestinians dead – many of them alleged assailants – as well as 15 Israelis, an American and an Eritrean.

It’s the second station in Hebron to be closed in November.

The latest round of violent clashes between Israelis and Palestinians began over access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Palestinian attacks have killed 17 Israelis, mostly in stabbings, while 84 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers.

Police said they detained around 10 illegal Palestinian laborers found at construction sites near the scene of the attack.

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Kerry, who was scheduled to depart Sunday for Abu Dhabi, will meet with government officials on a range of political, security and regional issues, according to the department.

A total of 547 Palestinian children were killed by Israel during last year’s onslaught against the Gaza Strip.

The violence has Israelis on edge. The group is responsible for launching the recent terror attacks in Paris that killed 130 people and injured over 350 others.

Under interim peace agreements, Israel controls cellular networks in the West Bank.