Israel 'closes off' parts of Jerusalem after deadly attacks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has ordered police forces to seal off "parts of Jerusalem", in an attempt to halt a wave of deadly attacks, the BBC reports.

The decision follows reports that three Israelis were killed and over 20 injured in shooting and stabbing attacks in Jerusalem and central Israel. The police confirmed that they shot two attackers in Jerusalem, who were identified as Palestinian, and they added that they acted after the assailants shot and stabbed passengers on a bus on Tuesday.

The BBC adds that another Israeli died after being run down and stabbed elsewhere in the city and that later, a Palestinian was killed in clashes with Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.

The decision was taken during an emergency cabinet meeting, after stabbings by Palestinians have left dozens of Israelis dead and wounded over the past fortnight.

The AFP reports that a statement by Netanyahu’s office explains that soldiers will also be deployed to make public transport safe, and specially trained security guards would be recruited later.  The statement added that authorities could demolish the homes of Palestinians who attacked Israelis and take away their right to live in Jerusalem.

Netanyahu said the new security measures would be aimed against "those who try murder and with all those who assist them" and he urged Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to "stop lying, and stop inciting".

Abbas has blamed "acts of aggression" by the Israeli authorities and Jewish settlers for the upsurge in violence.

According to reports, several attackers and at least 18 other Palestinians have also been killed during this time.

International media report that tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have escalated since last month, after clashes at a flashpoint holy site in Jerusalem, in the West Bank, and across the Gaza border, as well as the wave of stabbings.