Mideast violence spikes despite new Israeli measures

Israel has struggled to curb a spate of violence that has raised fears of a full-blown uprising, with more knife attacks shaking Jerusalem despite moves to set up checkpoints in Palestinian neighbourhoods and mobilise hundreds of soldiers. As the surge in violence entered its third week on Thursday, Washington said it would send US Secretary of State John Kerry to the Middle East soon to seek to calm tensions. The unrest has sparked fears of a third Palestinian intifada, or uprising, like those of 1987-1993 and 2000-2005, when hundreds of people were killed in near daily violence. With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under immense pressure to halt the violence and frustrated Palestinian youths defying attempts to restore calm, police said 300 Israeli soldiers were joining their patrols. The government also announced further tough measures, including easing firearms laws for Israelis and stripping alleged attackers from east Jerusalem of their residency permits.

Politics Israel