Dozens of Palestinians arrested following Jerusalem shooting

Israeli authorities have arrested dozens of Palestinians after a deadly shooting rampage in Jerusalem raised fears of a surge in violence during this week’s Yom Kippur holiday, police said Monday.

Sunday’s attack saw a 39-year-old Palestinian open fire on civilians from a car and at police in Jerusalem. The shooting killed a police officer and 60-year-old woman, both Israelis.

Israeli media reported Monday that he used an M16 rifle issued by the Israeli military in the shooting, though that has not been confirmed by authorities. The attacker, who was reportedly scheduled to begin a prison term on the same day, was killed by police after he fled into an east Jerusalem neighborhood.

The attack came at a time of increased Jewish visitors to the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound in east Jerusalem for the holidays of Rosh Hashanah, which was last week, and Yom Kippur, which begins Tuesday evening.

The arrests after Sunday’s attack included 31 Palestinians seeking to participate in celebrations in memory of the assailant as well as members of his family in east Jerusalem.

Some 15 other Palestinians were arrested for throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at security forces in east Jerusalem, police spokeswoman Luba Samri said.

The military said it has also made preparations to demolish the home of the attacker. In addition, police are increasing deployments throughout Israel and Jerusalem for the holidays, with more than 3,000 to be deployed to the city.

Meanwhile, Israel has received a group of 64 Ethiopian migrants, the first group of a new wave of 9,000 to arrive over the next five years, an official said Monday.

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