Macron condemned the “disgusting attack” on a synagogue in East Jerusalem and promised Israel “France’s full solidarity in the fight against terrorism”. He also reaffirmed his willingness to “contribute to the resumption of dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis,” the Elysee said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also called on Israelis and Palestinians on Sunday to show “maximum responsibility” and prevent the situation from deteriorating again. In telephone conversations with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki, Lavrov emphasized that Moscow was “seriously concerned about the new cycle of violence,” the Foreign Ministry said in Moscow.
On Friday evening, after the start of the Jewish Sabbath, a Palestinian attacker killed seven people and injured at least three others. On Saturday morning, a 13-year-old Palestinian opened fire near the Old City, seriously injuring two Israelis.
The attack in front of the synagogue in East Jerusalem on Holocaust Remembrance Day caused international outrage. The EU and numerous countries condemned the attack, including the USA, France, Great Britain, Russia, Turkey and the Arab states of Jordan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
US Secretary of State Blinken wants to try to de-escalate the situation in Jerusalem and Ramallah on Monday and Tuesday. At his meetings with Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Blinken will “call for steps to reduce tensions,” US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said. “The most important thing in the near future is that we try to create calm,” Blinken said in an interview with the Saudi Arabian news channel Al-Arabiya on Sunday, according to Washington.
In response to the violence in East Jerusalem, the Israeli government announced that it would take tougher action against the relatives of the assassins. The security cabinet declared on Sunday night that “families of terrorists who support terrorism” should be cut from welfare. The government will also discuss a draft law that would allow relatives to have their Israeli ID cards withdrawn. The ministers also agreed on easier access to weapons for civilians.
On Sunday, Israeli military sealed the home of the family of the 21-year-old Palestinian who carried out the synagogue attack on Friday. The government announced the demolition of the house. The mother of the 21-year-old was arrested after the attack along with 41 other people for questioning. She and four other detainees remained in custody on Sunday, according to police.
The Palestinian Authority blamed Israel for renewed violence in the Middle East. Israel bears “full responsibility for the dangerous escalation,” the agency said. A day before the attack in front of the synagogue, ten Palestinians were killed in a raid by the Israeli army in the Palestinian refugee camp Jenin in the north of the occupied West Bank.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, representatives of a civilian Israeli security service shot dead a Palestinian near a Jewish settlement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Sunday. According to the Israeli military, the 18-year-old was armed with a pistol.
