The Israeli Cabinet on Sunday adopted a proposal to seal the homes of terrorists who commit non-lethal attacks, with the policy to be applied to the home of the 13-year-old Palestinian who shot and seriously wounded two people in Jerusalem on Saturday.
Muhammad Aliyat, of the capital’s Silwan/Shiloach neighborhood, shot a father and son near the entrance to the City of David National Park in Jerusalem on Saturday morning, a day after a deadly shooting rampage at a synagogue in the city’s Neve Yaakov neighborhood.
Aliyat was shot and killed by police during the attack.
“A terrorist is a terrorist, even if he has not succeeded in carrying out his vile plans. Glad that the Cabinet accepted my proposal, and we will continue to fight terrorism by all means,” said Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
He added that he would soon propose a bill to institute the death penalty for terrorists.
During a meeting of the Security Cabinet on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for new measures to combat terrorism, including expanding the number of civilian gun permits and revoking the identity cards and residency status of terrorists’ families.
“This morning we sealed the home of the terrorist who carried out the reprehensible attack in Jerusalem [on Friday evening]; his home will be demolished,” the prime minister said, adding that the government had also decided to pull national medical insurance rights from families that support terrorism.
Seven people were killed and several others wounded on Friday when a terrorist opened fire outside a synagogue in Jerusalem’s Neve Yaakov neighborhood.
“The Security Cabinet approved a series of steps in the fight against terrorism,” said Netanyahu. “Today, the government will discuss two additional steps: Revoking Israeli identity cards and residency of families of terrorists that support terrorism. We will also expand and expedite the issuing of weapons permits to thousands of Israeli civilians, including those in the rescue services,” he added.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowed on Sunday to hold all Palestinian terrorists to account.
“Every terrorist will be brought to court or to the cemetery,” he said.
While Israel wants calm restored, he continued, it is nevertheless determined to quash terrorism.
“We will undertake offensive actions against those who try to hurt our children,” said Gallant. “We will fight forcefully and decisively against terrorists and their enablers—including, if needed, the demolition of the homes of terrorists or revoking the rights of the families of terrorists.
“We will not allow blood to be spilled. We will do what is necessary to bring them to justice,” said the defense minister.
