The Israeli government confirmed this claim to Haaretz.
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The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas took credit for a suicide bombing Monday that wounded 20 people in Jerusalem. Abdullah, for his part, made a single, crucial commitment: to keep those Palestinian youth, who likely would turn out to be the next-day’s stone-throwers, from surreptitiously entering the compound under the guise of performing night prayer.
The Israeli regime plans to close off all entry points to the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip ahead of a Jewish holiday.
Despite facing renewed threats by Hamas, Israel’s Channel 2 reports that IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot praised the Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, for making a real effort to fight terrorist activities.
“The Jerusalem police works to provide balance, in order to enable all three [monotheistic] faiths to exercise their freedom of worship with the guarantee of personal safety and security, and expects that public behavior during this period will be characterized by tolerance and mutual respect”, it added.
Israeli officials have not announced any investigation, and are apparently not pursuing the perpetrator of the attack.
In the hours after the incident, it was unclear whether the explosion was caused by a small bomb or mechanical failure. His lawyers argued he thought the Palestinian was wearing explosives.
Human rights groups have condemned the use of lethal violence as a matter of first resort, saying it amounts to an unofficial shoot-to-kill policy encouraged by Israel’s top leadership.
Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities.
In recent weeks that violence has been on the wane, but Israel’s military establishment anticipates a possible spike in confrontations during the upcoming Passover holiday.
The compound is holy to both Jews and Muslims, and has been the site of violent protests from Palestinians, who charge that Israel is planning to change the fragile status quo there.
According to the Times of Israel, two of the men picked up on Friday morning were on their way to carry out the sacrifice, but were stopped by police before they could do so.
The Temple Mount movement seeks the destruction of the al-Aqsa mosque and the erection of a Jewish temple in its place.
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Israeli security forces stand guard as firemen extinguish a burning bus following an attack in Jerusalem on April 18, 2016.
