PM notes ‘significant decline’ in Palestinian attacks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu notes a “significant decline” in Palestinian attacks on Israelis, after six months of near-daily violence that has cost more than 200 lives.

Speaking at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu says ministers will be presented with data from the Shin Bet domestic security agency that show a “significant decline in the scope of terrorist attacks.”

Netanyahu attributes the trend to Israeli moves to lower the “success rate” of attacks, alongside “very strong actions against the incitement of the Palestinian public.”

Shin Bet published in recent days its statistics on Palestinian attacks for March, counting 123 against Israeli civilians and security forces in Israel, East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Most of the attacks in the tally were firebombings, but the data also covered stabbings, car-ramming attacks, gunfire, improvised bombs and grenades as well as projectile fire from the Gaza Strip.

February saw 155 attacks, compared with 169 in January, and in December the Shin Bet counted 246 attacks, twice the number for March.

— AFP