Israel promises swift response to synagogue shooting

JERUSALEM, (Reuters) - Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged yesterday a "strong, swift and precise" response to a deadly Palestinian shooting attack near a synagogue on Jerusalem's outskirts, as its military sent more troops into the occupied West Bank.

Seven people were killed in Friday's attack and two others were wounded in another shooting in the city on Saturday.

"We are not seeking escalation, but we are prepared for any scenario," Netanyahu said as he convened his security cabinet.

He later said the security cabinet decided to increase gun permits for licensed civilians to defend against street attacks. Before the meeting, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he would push for the move.

A 13-year-old Palestinian boy in the Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan opened fire on Saturday at a group of Israeli passers-by, wounding two, before he was shot and wounded by one of them, police said.

The Israeli military said a Palestinian spotted on the edge of a West Bank settlement and armed with a handgun was "neutralized."

The Jerusalem attack on Friday followed an Israeli raid on Thursday in the West Bank city of Jenin that killed nine Palestinians, including seven gunmen, and cross-border fire on Friday between Israel and Gaza.

An Israeli military spokesperson said an additional battalion had been sent to the West Bank for reinforcement.

There was no sign, however, Israel was preparing for a large-scale operation, and its brief cross-border exchange with Gaza ended with no casualties.

On Monday U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is due to arrive for a two-day visit to Israel and the West Bank, where clashes have worsened for months.