Israel’s response to Wednesday’s gun attack in Tel Aviv should be designed in a way that does not punish innocent Palestinians, the State Department said on Thursday after the Israeli military revoked the travel permits for 83,000 Palestinians, Reuters Reported.
“We understand the Israeli government’s desire to protect its citizens … and we strongly support that right, but we would hope that any measures it takes are designed to also take into consideration the impact on Palestinian citizens that are trying to go about their daily lives,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a news briefing.
In another context, The Israeli army said Friday that it was temporarily barring Palestinians from entering Israel, stepping up already tough restrictions announced after Palestinian gunmen shot dead four Israelis in Tel Aviv, As AFP agency said.
An army spokeswoman told AFP that crossings to Israel from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip would be closed for Palestinians in all but “medical and humanitarian cases”.
She said that the closure would remain in force until midnight Sunday.The I
A spokeswoman for COGAT, the defence ministry unit which manages civilian affairs in the occupied West Bank, said that about 10,000 Palestinians were nevertheless allowed into Jerusalem for Muslim prayers on the first Friday of Ramadan at the Al-Aqsa mosque complex.
The worshippers would have to return home after Friday prayers, the spokeswoman said.
The passage was unrestricted for Palestinian women, but there were age restrictions for men.
ssage was unrestricted for Palestinian women, but there were age restrictions for men.
Violence since October has killed at least 207 Palestinians, 32 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese.
Most of the Palestinians were allegedly carrying out a knife, a gun or attempting car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities.
Others were killed in clashes with security forces or by Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip.
The violence had declined in recent weeks before Wednesday’s deadly shooting.
