Israel Sends 2 Battalions to West Bank After Tel Aviv Mall Attack

TEL AVIV, Israel — Two Israeli battalions were sent to the West Bank on Thursday after two Palestinians fatally shot four people at a Tel Aviv mall.

 

The buildup would include hundreds of troops in “accordance with situation assessments,” according to the Israel Defense Forces statement. They would not give any more details on the numbers involved.

 

Israel also revoked 83,000 permits for Palestinians living in Gaza and the occupied West Bank to travel abroad and attend Ramadan prayers in Jerusalem. In the past, restrictions on access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, the holy site in the heart of Jerusalem’s Old City that Jews call Temple Mount, have increased tensions.

 

Wednesday night’s shooting was one of the deadliest attacks in an eight-month wave of violence. It occurred at Sarona Market, a popular tourist spot filled with shops and restaurants located across from Israel’s military headquarters. The area, which is also popular with soldiers in uniform, sent families running for their lives.

 

Police identified the those killed as Ilana Nave, 39; Mila Mishayev, 32; Ido Ben Aryeh, 42; and Michael Feige, 58.

 

Read More: Israel Sends 2 Battalions to West Bank After Tel Aviv Mall Attack – NBC News