The pace of the attacks against Israelis during the Jerusalem intifada, which broke out in October 2015, has been increasing at times and decreasing at others. Up until early March, 620 attacks had been carried out in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem, resulting in the death of 33 Israelis and 209 Palestinians.

The Tel Aviv attack June 8 was the most ruthless Palestinian armed attack against Israelis, targeting a shopping mall in Tel Aviv, a short walk from the headquarters of the Israeli Ministry of Defense. Cousins Mohammad and Khaled Mahamra from the town of Yatta in Hebron governorate were able to pass through the security measures and the Israeli military checkpoints, and started shooting at people killing four Israelis and wounding six others.

On June 9, the Israeli government promptly decided to impose a series of collective punishments on the Palestinian residents of Yatta. Most importantly, Israel imposed a complete siege on the city and revoked the work permits of the perpetrators’ family as well as 83,000 permits from residents of Yatta and other Palestinian cities. The Israeli government had granted the Palestinians these permits allowing them to visit the West Bank and pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque during the month of Ramadan.

Othman Abu Sabha, Palestinian National Initiative leader and an influential figure in Yatta, told Al-Monitor, “The Israeli measures imposed on Yatta include sand berms and military checkpoints blocking all entrances to the city and a siege that was not even imposed at the height of Al-Aqsa intifada in 2000. The fact that Israel is making the city’s residents suffer this much expresses a retaliatory Israeli approach to punish the perpetrators’ hometown. The siege is still imposed and it has resulted in heavy economic losses for the city. Many plants, factories and shops are located in Yatta, and the siege impedes the import and export movement.”