Israel to strengthen Jewish ‘settlements’ after shooting incidents

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced a series of punitive measures against Palestinians, along with plans to strengthen Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. They took this step after two shooting incidents killed seven Israelis and injured five others. His announcement on Saturday cast a cloud of doubt over US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit next week and raised fears of further escalation of tensions in the region.

January 2023 has been one of the bloodiest months in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in recent years. Netanyahu’s cabinet committee on security has approved the government’s punitive measures in the wake of the two shootings. One of these attacks occurred on Friday night, when seven people were killed in a shooting outside a place of worship in East Jerusalem. Netanyahu’s office said the committee approved sealing the attackers’ homes before demolishing them.

The government also plans to cancel social security and health benefits for the attackers’ families, simplify the process for Israelis to obtain weapons, and intensify efforts to confiscate illegal weapons. America has not yet reacted to these steps of Israel. America’s Biden administration has condemned the shootings, but is against the construction of Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Disclaimer:Prabhasakshi has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.