Conflicts & War

Israel detains suspects following deadly attack

Jerusalem, Mar 30 (EFE).- Israeli forces have arrested five men in the occupied West Bank city after a deadly attack near Tel Aviv, the Israeli defense forces (IDF) confirmed Wednesday.

Five people died in the suburb of Bnei Brak on Tuesday night after a Palestinian man armed with a rifle opened fire on them. The dead included a policeman and two Ukrainians.

“Following the attack, IDF soldiers and Israeli security forces apprehended 5 individuals suspected of being involved in the killings,” the IDF wrote on Twitter.

“We will continue our counterterrorism activities,” it added.

The arrests came after an overnight Israeli operation into towns in the West bank city of Jenin, including the perpetrator’s hometown of Jabad, media outlets reported.

Among those taken into custody is the brother of the assailant, who succumbed to his wounds after he was fatally shot by police.

The detained were transferred to the security forces for further questioning, the IDF pointed out.

The attacker, identified as Diaa Hamarsheh, might have belonged to the armed wing of the ruling Fatah movement, dominant in the Jenin area, according to the media.

The armed group, however, did not claim responsibility for the attack that was condemned by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president and Fatah party leader.

Meanwhile, Hamas, the Islamist group that governs Gaza, hailed the shooting as “an act of heroism” and “a natural reaction to the crimes of the occupation against our people.”

Tuesday’s strike in Bnei Brak brought the number of Israelis killed by Palestinians in the last seven days to 11, the highest one-week total since 2006.

Security forces are now on their highest alert levels, reinforcing troop deployments in the West Bank, as well as other areas.EFE

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