JERUSALEM: Israeli security forces on Saturday raided the home of the Palestinian attacker who stabbed to death three Israelis and restricted movement for Palestinians from his West Bank village, the military said.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said security forces “surveyed the house of the assailant in the village of Khobar, searched for weapons and confiscated money used for terror purposes. The brother of the assailant was also apprehended.”
Video footage released by the military shows soldiers leading away a handcuffed and blindfolded man.
“Movement out of the village will be limited to humanitarian cases only,” the spokeswoman said.
The assailant’s father said his son had been angered by the escalation at the Jerusalem shrine, known to Muslims as the Haram Al-Sharif.
“The honor of Muslims is only the Haram,” Mohammed Al-Abed said.
“If it’s gone, the Muslims’ honor is gone. This was the motive for my son.”
Ibrahim Al-Abed, an uncle of the assailant, said his nephew had been arrested three months ago by security forces of President Mahmoud Abbas.
The uncle said his nephew had spent two weeks in detention and was violently interrogated about alleged plans to attack Israelis before he was released.
Israel has repeatedly accused the Palestinian Authority and President Abbas of permitting anti-Israeli incitement in the public Palestinian discourse.
Michael Oren, a deputy minister for public diplomacy, alleged Saturday that Hamas and Abbas’ government are exploiting tensions to incite violence.
Oren argued that metal detectors are a routine security measure at holy sites around the world and that Palestinian leaders seized on the issue as a pretext to whip up anti-Israeli sentiment.
Abbas has rejected Israeli incitement allegations, saying Israel’s 50-year-old occupation of lands sought for a Palestinian state is at the root of widespread Palestinian anger and helps drive violence.
Abbas is a staunch opponent of violence and in 12 years in power has stuck to security coordination between his forces and Israeli troops against a common enemy — Hamas.
On Friday evening, Abbas announced that he would “freeze” ties with Israel “on all levels” until the metal detectors are removed from the shrine, but did not say whether this means halting security coordination. Ending such ties would have far-reaching repercussions and sharply raise tensions with Israel.
Even if largely meant for domestic Palestinian consumption, the Abbas announcement dealt a setback to fledgling efforts by the Trump administration to revive long-dormant Israeli-Palestinian talks on a peace deal.
Such efforts now seem moot as Israelis and Palestinians refuse to budge in the showdown over the shrine and violence threatens to escalate.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said security forces “surveyed the house of the assailant in the village of Khobar, searched for weapons and confiscated money used for terror purposes. The brother of the assailant was also apprehended.”
Video footage released by the military shows soldiers leading away a handcuffed and blindfolded man.
“Movement out of the village will be limited to humanitarian cases only,” the spokeswoman said.
The assailant’s father said his son had been angered by the escalation at the Jerusalem shrine, known to Muslims as the Haram Al-Sharif.
“The honor of Muslims is only the Haram,” Mohammed Al-Abed said.
“If it’s gone, the Muslims’ honor is gone. This was the motive for my son.”
Ibrahim Al-Abed, an uncle of the assailant, said his nephew had been arrested three months ago by security forces of President Mahmoud Abbas.
The uncle said his nephew had spent two weeks in detention and was violently interrogated about alleged plans to attack Israelis before he was released.
Israel has repeatedly accused the Palestinian Authority and President Abbas of permitting anti-Israeli incitement in the public Palestinian discourse.
Michael Oren, a deputy minister for public diplomacy, alleged Saturday that Hamas and Abbas’ government are exploiting tensions to incite violence.
Oren argued that metal detectors are a routine security measure at holy sites around the world and that Palestinian leaders seized on the issue as a pretext to whip up anti-Israeli sentiment.
Abbas has rejected Israeli incitement allegations, saying Israel’s 50-year-old occupation of lands sought for a Palestinian state is at the root of widespread Palestinian anger and helps drive violence.
Abbas is a staunch opponent of violence and in 12 years in power has stuck to security coordination between his forces and Israeli troops against a common enemy — Hamas.
On Friday evening, Abbas announced that he would “freeze” ties with Israel “on all levels” until the metal detectors are removed from the shrine, but did not say whether this means halting security coordination. Ending such ties would have far-reaching repercussions and sharply raise tensions with Israel.
Even if largely meant for domestic Palestinian consumption, the Abbas announcement dealt a setback to fledgling efforts by the Trump administration to revive long-dormant Israeli-Palestinian talks on a peace deal.
Such efforts now seem moot as Israelis and Palestinians refuse to budge in the showdown over the shrine and violence threatens to escalate.
