Tel Aviv, Mar. 30, (dpa/GNA) - Following the bloodiest week in Israel for 16 years, Defence Minister Benny Gantz announced on Wednesday that 1,000 soldiers are to be deployed to support Israeli police in ensuring public safety.
Following a shooting in the community of Bnei Brak near Tel Aviv that left five people dead on Tuesday, Israeli forces detained six men in the West Bank village of Jabed, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.
The attacker in the Bnei Brak shooting was shot dead by police. The dead included a police officer and two Ukrainians. The other two victims were residents of Bnei Brak – one of whom reportedly had his two-year-old son in his arms, who was unharmed.
In a video message following the attack, three masked individuals claiming to be from the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, the political party that administers the West Bank, praised the attack before announcing “war in the entire country of Israel” in Hebrew.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Tuesday’s attack, saying that the deaths “will only worsen the situation,” according to WAFA.
There are concerns that violence could further escalate in the coming days, with the start of the fasting month of Ramadan approaching. Police remain on high alert, with increased presence reported at key sites.
This latest wave of violence has increased pressure on the already fragile eight-party coalition government in Israel, which includes parties from across the political spectrum.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said after a security briefing on Wednesday that Israel was facing a “challenging period.” There had been waves of terror like this throughout the country’s history, he said, but “they did not break us then, and they will not break us now.”
GNA