The Israeli military said Tuesday it captured the Palestinian suspected of killing an Israeli mother of six in a West Bank settlement as the prime minister visited the woman’s family and vowed a tough response.
Security forces detained the Palestinian in a nearby village after two days of extensive searches. He is suspected of breaking into a home Sunday in the settlement of Otniel and stabbing 38-year-old Dafna Meir to death before her children.
The following day, another Palestinian attacker stabbed and wounded a pregnant 30-year-old Israeli woman in a different settlement, prompting the military to temporarily ban all Palestinian workers from Jewish settlements to soothe concerns.
The military said the new security measures will still allow Palestinians workers to enter industrial zones and the decision will be reviewed on a daily basis.
Visiting Meir’s widowed husband and orphaned children, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to destroy the attacker’s home and revoke the working permits of others. He once again blamed Palestinian incitement for the recent wave of violence.
You have humanity and a will for peace and coexistence on the one hand and boundless hate on the other, he said.
The last four months have seen near-daily Palestinian attacks on Israelis that have killed more than 25 people. Some 146 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, of which some 101 have been identified by Israel as attackers. The rest were killed in clashes with troops.
Israel says the violence is the result of a Palestinian campaign of lies and incitement. The Palestinians say it is rooted in frustration over nearly 50 years of Israeli occupation.
