Israel promises swift response to synagogue shooting - Reuters

JERUSALEM, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged connected Saturday a "strong, swift and precise" effect to a deadly Palestinian shooting onslaught adjacent a synagogue connected Jerusalem's outskirts, arsenic its subject sent much troops into the occupied West Bank.

Seven radical were killed successful Friday's onslaught and 2 others were wounded successful different shooting successful the metropolis connected Saturday.

"We are not seeking escalation, but we are prepared for immoderate scenario," Netanyahu said arsenic helium convened his information furniture which helium said would question an summation successful weapon permits for licensed civilians to support against thoroughfare attacks.

On Saturday, a 13-year-old Palestinian lad opened occurrence astatine a radical of Israeli passers-by wounding two, earlier helium was changeable and wounded by 1 of them, constabulary said, successful Silwan, a Palestinian neighbourhood that lies beneath Jerusalem's Old City walls.

The attacks took spot towards the extremity of a period of increasing confrontation and travel an Israeli raid successful the West Bank metropolis of Jenin that killed 9 Palestinians, including 7 gunmen, and cross-border occurrence betwixt Israel and Gaza.

An Israeli subject spokesperson said an further battalion had been sent to the West Bank for reinforcement.

There was nary sign, however, Israel was preparing for a large-scale cognition and its little cross-border speech with Gaza ended with nary casualties.

On Monday U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is owed to get for a two-day sojourn to Israel and the West Bank, wherever clashes person worsened for months.

Thursday's raid was the deadliest successful years successful the West Bank, wherever Israel has stepped up operations since a spate of deadly Palestinian thoroughfare attacks successful its cities past year.

At slightest 30 Palestinians - militants and civilians - person been killed successful the West Bank since the commencement of the month.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas made nary notation of the Jerusalem shootings successful a connection published by the authoritative Palestinian bureau WAFA, and blamed Israel for the escalation successful violence.

Abbas's Palestinian Authority, which has constricted governing powers successful the West Bank, suspended information practice arrangements with Israel aft Thursday's Jenin raid.

SCENE AT SYNAGOGUE

Friday's attack extracurricular a synagogue was the deadliest successful the Jerusalem country since 2008. It took spot successful a neighbourhood connected onshore that Israel annexed to Jerusalem aft capturing it successful the 1967 Middle East war, successful a determination not recognised internationally.

The gunman, Khaire Alkam, was a 21-year-old Palestinian from East Jerusalem. Among the dormant was a 14-year-old boy, constabulary said. No radical has claimed work for the shooting and Alkam's begetter told Reuters his lad had nary links to militants.

Forty-two suspects, including his household members, had been arrested, constabulary said. Netanyahu said helium would besides suggest astatine the furniture gathering sanctions against families of attackers.

Police said Alkam arrived astatine 8:15 p.m. and opened occurrence with a handgun, hitting a fig of radical earlier helium was killed by police.

Shimon Israel, 56, who lives nearby, said his household were starting their Sabbath meal erstwhile they heard shooting and screaming. He opened the model and saw his neighbour moving connected the thoroughfare to get the police.

"I told him 'Eli, don't spell there. Eli don't go.' He got joined lone a twelvemonth ago. A bully neighbour, similar a brother. He ran. I saw him autumn there," Israel told Reuters.

"Natali, his wife, ran aft him. She saw idiosyncratic present and was trying to resuscitate him. The violent came and changeable her from down and got her too," helium said.

In Tel Aviv, tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrating against Netanyahu's plans to overhaul Israel's judiciary, began the protestation with a minutes of soundlessness for the dead.

The gunman was a comparative of a 17-year-old Palestinian who was changeable dormant connected Wednesday successful clashes with Israeli forces successful a Jerusalem exile camp, his household said.

His father, Moussa Alkam, said helium did not cognize whether his lad was seeking revenge. "He is neither the archetypal nor the past young antheral to get martyred and what helium did is simply a root of pride," Alkam said.

CONDEMNATION

At a Jerusalem infirmary treating casualties, Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said helium would propulsion for much weapon permits.

"I privation weapons connected the street. I privation Israeli citizens to beryllium capable to support themselves," helium said.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who heads the pro-settler Religious Zionism party, said helium would request speeding up Israeli colony operation plans successful the West Bank, which his enactment hopes to yet spot annexed, though determination was nary denotation Netanyahu would conscionable his demands.

Both Ben-Gvir and Smotrich are members of Netanyahu's information cabinet.

Friday's shooting, connected International Holocaust Remembrance Day, was condemned by the White House and U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who urged "utmost restraint".

A Ukrainian pistillate was among the dead, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said successful Kyiv.

Jordan and Egypt, Arab countries that person signed bid treaties with Israel, condemned the shooting arsenic did the United Arab Emirates, 1 of respective Arab states that normalised relations with Israel conscionable implicit 2 years ago.

Saudi Arabia, which does not person ceremonial ties with Israel, condemned the targeting of civilians and said determination was a request to halt an escalation successful violence.

Lebanon's Iran-backed radical Hezbollah praised the attack, arsenic did Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad. Hamas person Ismail Haniyeh said connected Saturday that the portion was heading toward escalation.

Additional reporting by Ammar Awad and Eli Berlzon successful Jerusalem; Nidal al-Mughrabi successful Gaza and Ali Sawafta successful Ramallah Writing by Dominic Evans and Maayan Lubell; Editing by Frances Kerry and Raissa Kasolowsky

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.