The past few days have become chaotic for Israel after successive attacks were thrown their way by people believed to have come from the Palestinian neighbourhood. These wave of attacks have raised fear among the locals and prompted the authorities to build roadblocks and deploy soldiers to protect their people and combat what seems to be a series of knife and gun attacks.
According to a police spokeswoman, the roadblocks and checkpoints were set up in "the exits of Palestinian villages and neighbourhoods in east Jerusalem".
The latest incident involved a Palestinian who "attempted to stab paramilitary police at an entrance to Jerusalem's walled Old City and was shot dead", a Reuters report states.
Yahoo! News also stated that past attacks involved the use of guns and knives. Last Tuesday, two people were killed due to a "gun-and-knife attack on a Jerusalem bus" while another attack incident resulted to a third death also on Tuesday "when a Palestinian attacker rammed his car into pedestrians, then exited with a knife," the Yahoo! report released. For the past two weeks, a total of seven Israelis and 31 Palestinians have already died.
As part of their security measures, body searches were conducted by the policemen and identity papers of Palestinian motorists were also examined. Vehicles were also used to block an exit in Jabel Mukabar, which is known to be the home of the three three Palestinians who were behind the deadly attacks against Israelis on Tuesday.
The violent attacks started early October and is said to be caused partly by "Palestinians' anger over what they see as increased Jewish encroachment on Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound, also revered by Jews as the site of two destroyed Jewish temple".
The Palestinian officials have condemned the security measures and consider it as "collective punishment".
For a video clip on what transpired in Jerusalem, check out this news report.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
