Israel will grant more arms licenses to civilians. This is what the Israeli cabinet decided after shootings in East Jerusalem. Meanwhile, a Palestinian killed seven people as they were leaving a synagogue. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the perpetrators would also be punished more severely.
Netanyahu said he would take “firm, swift and precise measures” after the synagogue shooting and another incident in which a 13-year-old Palestinian boy shot two people.
The Council of Ministers approved measures against the families of the perpetrators. As a result, they lose some of their Social Security. Their homes are also being evacuated and demolished.
The shootings took place after widespread unrest over an Israeli raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. Nine Palestinians were killed in that raid. According to UN experts, it was the deadliest in nearly 20 years.
Earlier on Saturday, Israel announced that it had beefed up its military presence in the West Bank. Netanyahu has called on citizens not to take the law into their own hands. “We are not looking for an escalation, but we are preparing for every scenario,” said the prime minister, who is under heavy criticism in his country.
On Saturday, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, among other areas, to demonstrate against the current government.
