Israeli PM vows to act ‘decisively and calmly’ after shooting attack in E. Jerusalem

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Jerusalem, (Samajweekly) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to act after a shooting attack killed at least seven people and wounded three others on Friday in a Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem.

Netanyahu, who arrived at the scene shortly after the attack, said the authorities “decided on a few immediate measures” and he convened a special security cabinet meeting on Saturday evening to discuss further measures.

During the attack on Friday evening, a gunman opened fire on people near a synagogue. Israeli police said that the assailant, identified as a 21-year-old resident of East Jerusalem, was shot dead by a police officer, Xinhua news agency reported.

The attack came a day after an Israeli military raid in the West Bank resulted in the killing of nine Palestinians. After the raid, Palestinian militant organisations vowed revenge.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is scheduled to visit the West Bank and Israel later this weekend, condemned the attack on his Twitter account.

According to a statement from the White House, US President Joe Biden spoke to Netanyahu after the attack. The President “offered all appropriate means of support to the government and people of Israel over the coming days,” said the statement.

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