Israeli forces on Monday hunted for a Palestinian suspect accused of breaking into a West Bank home and stabbing a Jewish woman to death, further boosting tensions after months of violence.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said that the spy “used to gradually report the content of all secret meetings of the PA negotiation team”.
Israeli occupation forces arrested today a Palestinian from Beit Awwa town south-west of Hebron in the West Bank raided and searched several houses in Seir town east of Hebron.
The spokesperson said the attacker broke into the woman’s home in the settlement of Otniel south of Hebron and then stabbed her to death.
“Too many attacks on Palestinians lack a vigorous investigation or response by Israeli authorities, too much vigilantism goes unchecked, and at times there seem to be two standards of adherence to the rule of law – one for Israelis and another for Palestinians”, he said at a security conference.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to find the attacker and bring him to justice.
Mr Erekat serves as the secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), and is also seen as one of the possible contenders for Palestinian leadership once Mr Abbas, who turns 81 in March and whose popularity ratings have been plummeting in recent polls, steps down.
It also said Palestinians who work in settlements in the southern West Bank were not allowed in on Monday.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has voiced concern over the excessive use of force and “extrajudicial killing” of Palestinians by Israeli forces.
A large number of the Palestinian attackers have been young people, including teenagers. This raises fear of more violent Israeli-Palestinian conflicts in view of a state of despair, stagnancy and broken peace promises despite the fact that settlements are deemed by the United Nations as illegal, undermining peace efforts and in violation of its resolutions. He added that Israel would bolster the settlements’ security, although he did not elaborate.
“This government and previous Israeli governments have repeatedly expressed support for a negotiated settlement that would involve mutual recognition and separation”.
Advertisement
Israel says the violence is being fanned by a Palestinian campaign of lies and incitement spread by religious and political leaders and on social media.
