Israel cabinet approves strict military action against Palestinians in Jerusalem

The Israeli security cabinet yesterday approved several measures against Palestinians, including strict military action in occupied East Jerusalem, local media reported.

Following its meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a series of measures aimed at suppressing Palestinian resistance were approved. They include the deployment of extra police and military troops in the occupied holy city along with “increased police operational activity against inciters and supporters of terrorism.”

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“The security forces will act in a targeted manner against the perpetrators of terrorism,” Netanyahu said in reference to Palestinian resistance fighters.

The cabinet also legalised nine isolated settler outposts in the occupied West Bank.

Netanyahu claimed that the decision, which listed the illegal outposts as Avigayil, Beit Hogla, Givat Harel, Givat Arnon, Mitzpe Yehuda, Malachei Hashalom, Asahel, Sde Boaz and Shacharit, came in response to a string of Palestinian “terror” attacks in East Jerusalem.

To legalise the settler outposts, the government will have to prove that they were established on what Israel considers to be “state land”.

According to the Times of Israel, this will likely be difficult given that many of them, including almost all of Sde Boaz and Givat Harel, were built on private Palestinian land.

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