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Photo: Noam (Dabul) Dvir
Police Commissioner Danino
Photo: Noam (Dabul) Dvir

Police bolsters presence in East Jerusalem following deadly attack

Netanyahu orders Shin Bet to friction areas to seek out and detain Palestinian rioters in attempt to restore the order to the streets of the capital.

Jerusalem Police said Thursday it would implement a policy of "zero tolerance" against any further violence, following the deadly terrorist attack at Ammunition Hill that claimed the life of a 3-month-old baby waiting with her parents to board the light rail.

 

 

Police has bolstered its forces in the city, particularly in East Jerusalem, to combat the escalating violence of stone and Molotov cocktail throwing.

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also ordered the Shin Bet to start operating in East Jerusalem in order to locate and arrest Palestinian rioters attacking Israelis.


Wednesday night's attack at the light rail (Photo: AFP)
Wednesday night's attack at the light rail (Photo: AFP)

 

"The Jerusalem Police will show zero tolerance to violence and stop anyone involved in disturbing the public order," police said in a statement.

 

Following the attack, Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino held a situation assessment with the incoming Jerusalem District Commander, Moshe Edri, and other police officials, and instructed them to increase police presence on the streets, including the addition of hundreds of policemen and Border Police.

 

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP Border Police, Yassam units and units specialized in dealing with disruptions of public peace were deployed to the East Jerusalem neighborhoods of Wadi Joz, Isawiya and Silwan as of Thursday morning.

 

Police officials said following the attack that there were no specific warnings of additional attacks, but different scenarios like a "lone wolf" attack, "price tag" attacks or rioting from Jews as well were also taken into account, and the increased forces are meant to provide an answer to that as well.

 

Wednesday's attack in the light rail

Wednesday's attack in the light rail

סגורסגור

שליחה לחבר

 הקלידו את הקוד המוצג
תמונה חדשה

שלח
הסרטון נשלח לחברך

סגורסגור

הטמעת הסרטון באתר שלך

 קוד להטמעה:

 

Is the police really about to put an end to the "Quiet Intifada" in Jerusalem, or are these empty words meant to quell public criticism?

 

Police has announced a series of moves meant to bring the peace and security back to the capital: undercover agents in the light rail, a new police force to be stationed in Jerusalem and the use of different new technological tools.

 

One such tool is an observation balloon police stationed over Arab neighborhoods Shuafat and Beit Hanina in an effort to put an end to incidents of stone and firebomb throwing at the light rail. The balloon will allow police to monitor the neighborhoods in real time, which would help them catch the rioters red-handed.

 

Observation balloon video shows stone-throwers at light rail    (צילום: חטיבת דובר המשטרה)

Observation balloon video shows stone-throwers at light rail

סגורסגור

שליחה לחבר

 הקלידו את הקוד המוצג
תמונה חדשה

שלח
הסרטון נשלח לחברך

סגורסגור

הטמעת הסרטון באתר שלך

 קוד להטמעה:

  

A video clip filmed by the balloon shows a Border Police force chasing after and apprehending two 10-year-olds that police said were collecting stones near the light rail tracks in Shuafat with the intention of throwing them at the train.

 

The Shilat Optronics observation balloon broadcasts a clear image around the clock in a five kilometers radius. The balloon is connected to the ground with a cable secured by a Border Police force.

 

Police and the Jerusalem municipality plan to station more balloons over other friction areas like Isawiya, the French Hill, Silwan, and others.

 

Only a few hours before the deadly attack, Police Commissioner Danino promised that the "peace will soon be restored to Jerusalem."

 

Danino said the police's new mission in the capital was to restore the rule of law to the city. "This is a national mission and everyone will play a part, including the Shin Bet and the army."

 

But then 21-year-old Silwan resident Abed a-Rahman a-Shaludi plowed his car into a crowd of people waiting at the Ammunition Hill station of Jerusalem's Light Rail, killing Haya Zissel Braun and wounding 6 others.

 

Wednesday night's attack at the light rail (Photo: AFP) (Photo: AFP)
Wednesday night's attack at the light rail (Photo: AFP)
 

 

The attack Wednesday join a wave of nationalistically-motivated violence sweeping over Jerusalem in the past few months, dubbed "The Quiet Intifada."

 

Israeli cars have been pelted with stones on a daily basis, while the light rail has also been hit with stones, as well as Molotov cocktails. On the Temple Mount, tensions continued rising as police clashes with Palestinian rioters.

 

Police arrest Palestinian rioter on Temple Nount (Photo: Mohammed Shinawi)
Police arrest Palestinian rioter on Temple Nount (Photo: Mohammed Shinawi)

 

In addition to that, unknown perpetrators from the Shuafat refugee camp have opened fire at homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Pisgat Ze'ev and in August, during Operation Protective Edge, a terrorist ran over a pedestrian with a tractor.

 

Despite police moves, taken even before the deadly attack, stone-throwing incidents in the capital continued unabated both before and after the attack.

 

A 13-year-old Palestinian threw stones at vehicles in At-Tur, hit a car's windshield. The car's driver was unharmed.

 

Even before that, five Palestinian teens aged 15-16 were arrested while hurling stones on Highway 60. Earlier that day stones were thrown at a bus, breaking its windshield. No one was hurt.

 

Three teens aged 14-16 from Beit Hanina were arrested in the night between Tuesday and Wednesday on suspicion of throwing stones at an Israeli car.

 

After nightfall Wednesday, Silwan residents clashed with police, who responded to rocks and petrol bombs with stun grenades. Police clashed with stone-throwing protesters elsewhere in the city as well, where one person was injured and two others were arrested.

 

Scores of police could be seen trying to enter the family home of 21-year-old Abed Abdelrahman Shaludeh, the terrorist behind the attack, as dozens of masked Palestinians hurled stones at them, police and residents said.

 

Four family members who went to visit Shaludeh in Shaarei Tzedek hospital were arrested, a relative told AFP.

 

Clashes also erupted in Issawiya, Al-Tur and Shuafat refugee camp. Residents in the Mount Scopus area were experiencing difficulties breathing because of tear gas that was fired in clashes between security forces and Palestinians in Isawiya and Silwan in East Jerusalem.

 

Overnight and early Thursday morning, stones were thrown at the Jerusalem Light Rail in the Shuafat area. In both incidents, damage was caused to the Light Rail but no one was hurt.

 

On Thursday morning, stones were thrown at a kindergarten in the Ma'ale ha-Zeitim neighborhood in East Jerusalem, near the Arab neighborhood of Ras al-Amud. No one was hurt and no damage was caused, and police were still looking for the perpetrators.

 

Hassan Shaalan, Roi Kais, Aviel Magnezi, Noam (Dabul) Dvir, Omri Efraim, Yaron Doron and AFP contributed to this story.

 


פרסום ראשון: 10.23.14, 11:53
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