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United Nations says Israeli move on Palestinian permits may be collective punishment

The Israeli reaction “includes measures that may amount to prohibited collective punishment and will only increase the sense of injustice and frustration felt by Palestinians in this very tense time”, his office said on Friday.

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Palestinians who have special permits to pray in Jerusalem would be allowed to enter, according to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories.

The Israeli military has deployed hundreds of troops, effectively sealing off the West Bank.

Exceptions are being made for “humanitarian and medical” cases and Muslims traveling to worship at Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque.

Israeli security forces are cracking down on metal workshops in the West Bank suspected of manufacturing a crude homemade gun, which has emerged as the weapon of choice for Palestinian attackers in months of deadly assaults on civilians and soldiers- including in this week’s Tel Aviv shooting that killed four Israelis.

Over the last eight months, Palestinians have carried out dozens of attacks on civilians and security forces, mostly stabbings, shootings and auto ramming assaults that have killed 32 Israelis and two Americans.

Police are on high alert in Jerusalem as thousands of Palestinians are expected for prayers on the first Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

West Bank closures are often imposed ahead of holidays in Israel when there are fears of Palestinian attacks.

In the wake of the attack, Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai reportedly stated that “no one has the courage” to find peace with the Palestinians, and called for attempts to strike an agreement.

The more lenient measures which Israel extended to Palestinians to make it easier for them to observe Ramadan, particularly when accessing the Temple Mount for prayers, have been revoked.

While CNN claims their coverage was “an editing mistake”, MSNBC can’t edit away its claims of the “Occupied West Bank” and “Israel’s extreme right-wing government” so easily.

Israel has also revoked work permits for 204 of the attackers’ relatives and the army blockaded their West Bank hometown of Yatta.

The Paris meeting brought together representatives from 29 countries and worldwide organisations to agree on the way to re-start talks that have been comatose since a U.S. peace initiative collapsed in April 2014. Police were on high alert in Jerusalem and prayers passed peacefully.

The attack, as families were enjoying a balmy evening out at the open-air Sarona complex, was the deadliest in the country’s business and entertainment capital since a wave of Palestinian violence erupted in October previous year. Others were killed in clashes and protests.

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One of the suspects in the Tel Aviv terror attack was discovered in a police officer’s home, hiding among a group of people the cop had offered to shelter.

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