Israel detains suspects after deadly attack, more violence threatened

Israeli forces detained six men near the West Bank city of Jenin, following an attack that left five dead, near Tel Aviv on Tuesday, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

Five people died in the community of Bnei Brak after a Palestinian man opened fire on them on Tuesday. Police responded with gunfire and killed the attacker. The dead included a police officer and two Ukrainians.

The arrests came after an Israeli military operation into the West Bank overnight into Wednesday.

The five were detained in the village of Jabed.

After the attack, three masked people claimed to be from the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, the group that administers the West Bank under Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

In Hebrew, they announced a war on the entire country of Israel, it is not clear how broad the threat is.

The brigades were loose networks with no clear hierarchy.

Local groups often act on their own initiative.

Abbas condemned the attack, reported WAFA, saying that the deaths would only worsen the situation.

There are concerns that violence could ramp up in the coming days, with the start of the fasting month of Ramadan approaching.

The Bnei Brak attack was the third in a week, a wave of violence that has claimed 11 lives in Israel.

Three of the suspects were Israeli Arabs.

Police are now on their highest alert levels, with increased presences reported at key sites. (dpa/NAN)