Israel arrests dozens in Jerusalem, boosts forces in occupied West Bank

The Israeli military said it is boosting forces in the occupied West Bank, a day after a Palestinian gunman shot seven people dead near a synagogue on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

"Following an IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) situational assessment, it was decided to reinforce the Judea and Samaria (West Bank) Division with an additional battalion," the military said on Saturday. 

Israel police have said they arrested dozens of Palestinians following one of the deadliest attacks in the occupied East Jerusalem in years.

Police identified the gunman as a 21-year-old resident of East Jerusalem, the sector of the city occupied by Israel after the 1967 Six-Day War.

There has been no indication that he had prior involvement in militant activity or was a member of an established Palestinian armed group.

He was killed by police following a brief chase after the shooting.

Second shooting

Another shooting attack reportedly left at least two Israeli illegal settlers injured in occupied East Jerusalem, according to local media.

The attack took place near an Israeli settlement in Silwan town in the city, Israeli public broadcaster KAN said on Saturday, adding one of the injured was in serious condition.

Israeli police said the attacker was a 13-year-old Palestinian from East Jerusalem, and was injured by two armed settlers who were present at the scene.

Arrested for questioning

In a statement, police said they had arrested "42 people for questioning" overnight, "some of them members of the terrorist's family".

Others detained included residents of the gunman's neighbourhood, police said.

In a separate statement, police said the force had been placed on the "highest level" of alert following the attack in "Neve Yaakov" neighbourhood of east Jerusalem.

Israel's police chief Kobi Shabtai called the shooting "one of the worst attacks (Israel) has encountered in recent years." 

'Last resort'

The European Union on Saturday "strongly condemned" this week's attacks in the occupied East Jerusalem and urged Israel to 'only use lethal force as a last resort'.

"...It has to be stressed that lethal force must only be used as a last resort when it is strictly unavoidable in order to protect life," said the bloc's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell.

He also stressed that Israeli forces had killed 30 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since the start of the year.

Borrell added that last year's toll, when "more than 150 people were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank, including 30 children", was "the highest number since the end of the second intifada in 2005".

READ MORE: Several dead as gunman opens fire in occupied East Jerusalem