Israeli public security minister, Yitzhak Aharonovitch, has approved to ease the rules for private bearing of arms for Israeli citizens, under a pretext of defense against ‘terror attacks’, according to Haaretz. Meanwhile, curfews and blockades have been imposed in a number of Arab neighborhoods in the Jerusalem area.PNN reports that Aharonovich promised Israelis that he would prepare the official documents which would ease their permits to bear arms ‘in the wake of terror attacks’. The licensing will also let security guards in Israeli-occupied lands keep their arms with them past work hours.
The official also promised an extension for Israeli agricultural communites, and Israeli citizens licensed to carry a firearm. In addition, all military officers will be allowed to posses arms, under the approval of their leaders.
Israeli occupation forces, early Thursday morning, also placed concrete blocks at the entrances and exists of the villages of Sur Baher, Ras Al-Amud, Jabal Al-Mukabber, Um Tur, and East Jerusalem, leaving out one exit that leads to the road near Jabal Abu Ghneim, near Bethlehem.
Palestinians of Jerusalem told the PNN that Israeli forces blocked all the entrances and exists with concrete blocks, imposing curfew on Arab citizens, breaking all international and humanitarian laws.
The main roads to the Palestinian neighborhoods in the Jerusalem district were reported to have been completely blockaded, except for one on which Palestinians are closely searched, cars stopped, ID’s inspected and security tightened.
The actions in Jerusalem caused traffic jams for hundreds of Palestinians who had only one road to travel to their jobs and schools.
Witnesses assure that these actions are consisten with Israeli apartheid policies and collective punishments against Palestinians in the city, in addition to the escalating tension over the past months.
Citizens have demanded human rights organizations and international associations to intervene in exposing Israel’s racist crimes against Palestinians in Jerusalem.
