US Condemns Recent Fatal Attacks in Tel Aviv and West Bank as Violence Surges
Tel Aviv faced a deadly shooting on Saturday when Kamel Abu Bakr, a 27-year-old Palestinian from a village near Jenin, opened fire in the city center, killing an Israeli security guard, 42-year-old Chen Amir, and injuring two others. Bakr was fatally shot by police.
The Tel Aviv attack followed an assault in the West Bank Friday night in which an alleged settler rampage killed one Palestinian.
Two Israelis were arrested after the attack by Israeli civilians on the Palestinian village of Burqa, about 3 miles east of Ramallah, in which a 19-year-old Palestinian man, Qusai Jamal Matan, was killed. The villagers stated that Israeli settlers entered Burqa on Friday night, initiating violence by throwing rocks and torching cars. An initial investigation by the Israeli military revealed that the dispute started when Israelis approached to herd sheep near Burqa, leading to confrontations and violent clashes. The arrested suspects were identified as Yehiel Indore and Elisha Yered—the latter, a former spokesman for Israeli parliamentarian Limor Son Har-Melech, from the far-right Otzma Yehudit party.
The two incidents drew condemnation from the US State Department in separate, back-to-back tweets that referred to both as “terrorist attacks.”
“We strongly condemn today’s terrorist attack in Tel Aviv that killed 1 & wounded 2 others, as well as other recent terrorist attacks against Israelis. We express our deepest condolences to the victims’ families & call for an end to these acts of violence & incitement to violence,” the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs tweeted at 3:40 am Israel time Sunday morning.
Just before this, also at 3:40 am, the bureau tweeted: “We strongly condemn yesterday’s terror attack by Israeli extremist settlers that killed a 19-year old Palestinian. The U.S. extends our deepest sympathies to his family & loved ones. We note Israeli officials have made several arrests and we urge full accountability and justice.”
