Gun sales soar as Israelis arm themselves against ‘wave of terror’
A two-year-old and a 13-year-old are among the latest to die as Israel cracks down on Palestinian unrest
Gun sales in Israel have soared as officials urge members of the public to defend themselves against a "wave of terror" sweeping the country.
Israeli-Palestinian violence showed no signs of abating on Sunday, as three Palestinians, including a two-year-old and a 13-year-old, were killed by Israeli forces, and four Israelis were wounded in an evening stabbing attack.
The attacks have been primarily stabbings and shootings, but a Palestinian woman seriously injured herself when she detonated a gas canister on Sunday. The attack, which lightly wounded a police officer, was the first in the current round of violence to involve such an explosive device.
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At least 24 Palestinians, including eight attackers, have been killed by Israeli forces, while five Israelis have been killed in attacks.
With random stabbings happening each day, the violence has Israelis on edge. Officials have called on citizens to carry guns in public for self-defence, and store owners say sales of guns and pepper spray are soaring.
“I think everyone should come and get a gun licence,” said Idan Albilia, a Jerusalem resident who was at a gun shop purchasing his first weapon. “We need to defend ourselves. I think this is the only thing that will help us in this situation.”
Police are on high alert in all major cities across Israel, and an Israeli ambulance drove through central Jerusalem on Sunday night and announced an emergency blood drive over a loudspeaker.
He said he would be holding consultations to discuss sanctions against the Islamic Movement, which has led a campaign accusing Israel of plotting to take over the Jerusalem compound revered by both Jews and Muslims. Israel denies the accusations.
During a briefing to the cabinet, Israel's Shin Bet security agency said the Islamic Movement was a main instigator of the rumours. It also said the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, was not encouraging attacks on Israelis and had even instructed his security services to prevent violence, though it said other Palestinian officials were participating in incitement.
A new poll published in the Yediot Ahronot daily on Sunday showed popular support for Netanyahu slipping. Some 73 per cent of respondents were highly or fairly dissatisfied with his handling of the recent attacks. When asked who was best qualified to deal with the violence, Netanyahu came in third, while two ultranationalists, former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and pro-settler Education Minister Naftali Bennett, came in first and second. The survey polled 501 people and had a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points.
Abbas, meanwhile, faces his own domestic troubles. Following last year's collapse of peace talks, and with little hope for the future, the Palestinian public has grown deeply unhappy with Abbas. Although Abbas has been a critic of violence, opposing the public demonstrations against Israel could deepen his unpopularity.
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Late on Sunday, another rocket was launched from Gaza and landed in an open area in southern Israel. No injuries were reported.
The West Bank has been increasingly tense, with near-daily violent demonstrations. Thirteen-year-old Ahmad Saraka was shot dead during a clash between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli troops near a military checkpoint, according to Ramallah Government Hospital director Ahmed Bitawi. The Israeli military said it was responding to Palestinian demonstrators who had blocked roads and thrown rocks and firebombs at forces.
In another clash in the West Bank, at least 45 Palestinians were wounded by live bullets, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. The Israeli military said hundreds of Palestinians rolled burning tires and threw rocks at Israeli forces, who responded with 0.22 caliber rounds.
In Gaza, Palestinians again demonstrated along the Israeli border fence, throwing rocks and rolling burning tires. The Israeli military said soldiers responded by firing warning shots, and the Gaza Health Ministry said four Palestinians were wounded.
Late on Sunday, an Arab citizen of Israel stabbed four Israelis near the northern city of Hadera, seriously injuring a 19-year-old girl, before Israeli police apprehended him, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.