Palestinians in occupied West Bank brace for collective punishment after Jerusalem attack
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are preparing themselves to face collective punishment from Israel in retaliation for the Jerusalem attack, a Palestinian journalist says.
Speaking to Al Jazeera from the Aida refugee camp in the West Bank, Leila Warah said Palestinians were “very much on edge, waiting to see what is going to happen”.
Netanyahu has said Israeli forces are conducting operations in the villages where the attackers hailed from in what is now a standard Israeli response to such attacks, Warah said.
“This is what a lot of human rights organisations describe as collective punishment, collectively punishing an entire population,” she said.
“Once the military comes in, it becomes very difficult for Palestinians to move,” she added. “The vast majority of Palestinian people are not armed. They’re very much civilians in their homes, scared for their lives.”
EU condemns Jerusalem shooting and says it shows need for Gaza ceasefire
The European Union has condemned the deadly shooting by suspected Palestinian gunmen at a bus stop in occupied East Jerusalem and says it underscores the urgent need for a ceasefire as Israel wages war in Gaza.
“We condemn this attack as we condemn all loss of lives,” EU spokesman Anouar El Anouni said. “We call for de-escalation, and this shows how necessary and critical a ceasefire is.
“Civilians on both sides, both Palestinians and Israelis, have suffered for far too long and far too much. And this must end now, and it is high time to break this cycle of violence.”
PA condemns ‘targeting of civilians’; UAE slams Jerusalem shooting
In reaction to the shooting in Jerusalem today, the Palestinian Authority has “reiterated its firm position of rejecting and condemning any targeting of Palestinian and Israeli civilians”.
Its presidential office said in a statement that the PA denounces “all forms of violence and terrorism regardless of their source”.
“The presidency stressed that security and stability in the region will not be achieved without ending the occupation, halting the acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip, and halting settler terrorism in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem,” it said.
The United Arab Emirates also strongly condemned the “terrorist shooting incident” and expressed its “permanent rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism aimed at undermining security and stability”.
