Israel reopens West Bank and Gaza crossings after Tel Aviv attack
The reopening of transit areas overnight, after a three-day blockade following the attack in Tel Aviv. Yatta, native village of the two assailants, still under tight security. The closure coincided with the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. Tension remains high in the area.
Jerusalem (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Israel has reopened the crossing points of access to Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, after a three-day closure imposed in the aftermath of the attack in Tel Aviv. An army spokesman confirmed the move yesterday afternoon and the transit areas were accessible again by night. However, security checks" remain in force "in Yatta, Palestinian village near Hebron, in the West Bank, the place from which the perpetrators of the two assailants.
On the evening of 8 June, two Palestinians in their 20s opened fire in a shopping district in the center of Tel Aviv, killing four people and injuring at least five. In response, the government tightened controls, security boundaries and declassified the investigation, which continues in the most absolute reserve.
Moreover, the newly appointed Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman ordered the bodies of dead Palestinians during the attempted attacks on Israeli territory are not returned to their families.
Over the weekend, Israel also closed its border crossings and access with the West Bank and Gaza to the Palestinians by imposing a ban on entry into Israel and East Jerusalem. With the exception of the first Friday of Ramadan, when Israel allowed thousands of Palestinian Muslims to visit the Al-Aqsa mosque for prayer.
The closure imposed by the Israeli government coincided with the Jewish holiday of Shavuot; in conjunction with major holidays, when a large number of people come together in one place to pray, the authorities close the crossings as a preventive measure against Palestinian attacks.
Since last October, after ultra-Orthodox Jews engaged in provocative behaviour on the Temple Mount, incidents and clashes have multiplied in Israel and the Palestinian territories in what has come to be dubbed the ‘knife intifada’.
Since it began, 207 Palestinians, 32 Israelis, two Americans and one Sudanese and one Eritrean have been killed.
Most Palestinians were killed trying to stab or fire on passing cars or soldiers. The others were killed during demonstrations or clashes with the military.
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