France will not “automatically” recognize a Palestinian state if the Paris initiative fails, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said.
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Abbas who is scheduled to meet with Biden this evening in Ramallah, has not released a statement on yesterday’s events.
Terrorism is a personal issue for Avni, an Israeli businessman whose father, Richard Lakin, 73, died from gunshot and stab wounds he suffered during a Palestinian terrorist attack in October 2015 on a No. 78 bus in Jerusalem’s Armon Hanatizv neighborhood.
Biden has held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Minutes later another Palestinian was shot dead after allegedly firing gunshots at Israeli police forces near Salah al-Din Street in occupied East Jerusalem injuring two Israeli officers.
The number of attacks had somewhat diminished recently and Israeli security forces were probing whether the flare-up was connected to Biden’s visit.
As part of moves to curb the violence, Israel’s government decided on Wednesday “to complete immediately construction of the barrier around Jerusalem and build a new stretch” in a sector near the West Bank hotspot of Hebron, according to a government statement. Police said the Palestinian attacker followed Azarihab into the shop, pulled out a knife and began stabbing him multiple times to the upper body in a “frenzied attack”.
Shortly before Biden and Netanyahu met in Jerusalem, two Palestinian gunmen carried out shootings in the city before police shot and killed them, Israeli police said.
In Tuesday’s attack, the Palestinian assailant ran through the ancient port city of Jaffa with a knife, stabbing several people along his way, until he was shot by a police officer. “Please pay back 8 shekels ($2) I borrowed from my friend Muhyi al-Deen”, he added.
Most of the Palestinians were killed while carrying out attacks, Israeli authorities say. The bloodshed – mainly stabbings but also shootings and car-ramming attacks – has killed 28 Israelis. Most of the Palestinians have been identified by Israel as attackers, while the rest were killed in clashes with security forces.
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The panel also decided on a “wide scale” revocation of work permits for Palestinians, which enable them to work in Israel.
