<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Israel's prime minister has promised "strong" and "swift" response after two separate attacks by Palestinians in Jerusalem over the past two days.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">The attacks took place after an Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank killed nine people.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Ahead of a security cabinet meeting, Benjamin Netanyahu said he would seek new measures to "combat terror".</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Israeli's army also said it would be reinforcing troop numbers in the occupied West Bank.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">His comments came after Israeli police said a 13-year-old Palestinian boy was behind a shooting in Jerusalem's Silwan neighbourhood on Saturday that left an Israeli father and son seriously wounded.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">An Israeli police force spokesperson previously said the assailant ambushed five people as they made their way to prayers, leaving two in a "critical condition". The 13-year-old was shot and injured by passers-by and is being held in hospital.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">In a separate shooting on Friday at a synagogue in East Jerusalem, seven people were killed and at least three more injured as they gathered for prayers at the start of the Jewish Sabbath. The gunman was shot dead at the scene.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">The man behind Friday's synagogue attack was identified by local media as a Palestinian from East Jerusalem.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Police have arrested 42 people in connection with that attack.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Israeli police commissioner Kobi Shabtai called it "one of the worst attacks we have encountered in recent years".</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Palestinian militant groups praised the attack, but did not say one of their members was responsible.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Mr Netanyahu called for calm and urged citizens to allow security forces to carry out their tasks, while the military said additional troops would be deployed in the occupied West Bank.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">"I call again on all Israelis - don't take the law into your hands," Mr Netanyahu said. He thanked several world leaders - including US President Joe Biden - for their support.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Tensions have been high since nine Palestinians - both militants and civilians - were killed during an Israeli military raid in Jenin in the occupied West Bank on Thursday.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">This was followed by rocket fire into Israel from Gaza, which Israel responded to with air strikes.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Since the start of January, 30 Palestinians - both militants and civilians - have been killed in the West Bank.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas suspended its security co-operation arrangements with Israel after Thursday's raid in Jenin.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Friday's synagogue shooting happened on Holocaust Memorial Day, which commemorates the six million Jews and other victims who were killed in the Holocaust by the Nazi regime in Germany.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, saying that one of the victims was a Ukrainian woman.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">"Terror must have no place in today's world - neither in Israel nor Ukraine," he said in a tweet.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly wrote on Twitter: "To attack worshippers at a synagogue on Holocaust Memorial Day, and during Shabbat, is horrific. We stand with our Israeli friends."</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">President Joe Biden talked to Mr Netanyahu and offered all "appropriate means of support", the White House said.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Shortly after the incident, Mr Netanyahu visited the site, as did the controversial far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Mr Ben-Gvir promised to bring safety back to Israel's streets, but there is rising anger that he has not yet done so, the BBC's Yolande Knell in Jerusalem said.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was "deeply worried about the current escalation of violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory", a spokesperson said.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">"This is the moment to exercise utmost restraint," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">On Saturday, the European Union expressed alarm at heightened tensions and urged Israel to use lethal force only as a last resort.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">"The European Union fully recognises Israel's legitimate security concerns - as evidenced by the latest terrorist attacks - but 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 EU's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Israel has occupied East Jerusalem since the 1967 Middle East war and considers the entire city its capital, though this is not recognised by the vast majority of the international community.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the future capital of a hoped-for independent state. BBC</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>