“[The president] “He condemned the killing of Israeli civilians tonight, stressing that the killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians was only aggravating the situation,” the Abbas office said in a statement. Eleven Israelis were killed last week in deadly attacks by Arab Israelis and Palestinians across the country. As Ramallah’s opponents – including Hamas and Islamic Jihad – celebrated the killings, Abbas remained silent until Tuesday’s attack. Earlier Tuesday night, a Palestinian gunman opened fire on Israelis in Bnei Brak, east of Tel Aviv. Five Israelis were killed, including a police officer, who died of his wounds in a shooting that killed the terrorist. The gunman was identified as Diaa Hamarsheh, a 26-year-old resident of Ya’abad near Jenin in the West Bank, who was in Israel illegally. Hamarsheh was sentenced to one and a half years in Israeli prison for security offenses in 2013. Police also arrested several suspected accomplices. Get the Times of Israel Daily E-mail and never miss our top stories By registering, you agree to the terms Ramallah had avoided publicly discussing the escalating wave of terrorism against Israelis, remaining silent during the deadly attacks in Beersheba last Tuesday and in Khandera on Sunday. Surveys regularly show that large sections of Palestinian public opinion consider the “armed struggle” against Israel to be legal. Israeli police and doctors appear at the scene of the March 29, 2022, Bnei Brak shooting. (Avshalom Sassoni / Flash90) “The cycle of violence confirms that a comprehensive, just and lasting peace is the shortest, most appropriate path to security and stability for both peoples,” Abbas said. Abbas noted that the holy month of Ramadan is approaching, as well as Jewish and Christian holidays. Officials and analysts have warned for months that the convergence of the great holy days for all three religions in the coming weeks could spark violence. “We all aim to achieve stability,” Abbas said. Pro-Hamas news sites released videos of Yabad residents saying they were gathering in front of Hamarsh’s house to show solidarity with the dead terrorist. “Millions of Witnesses Are Walking to Jerusalem!” shouted the inhabitants of the city, according to the plans. Palestinian terrorist groups have praised the deadly spark of the shootings, although no one has claimed responsibility for the massacre. “The Tel Aviv operation emphasizes the unity of the Palestinian people wherever they live,” Hamas official Moussir al-Masri told Al-Aqsa television, a channel linked to the terrorist group. The attack came as Israeli security forces were already on high alert as Ramadan approached. The situation escalated after two attacks by Arab-Israeli terrorists that left six people dead last week. These two attacks were carried out by Israeli Arab citizens and were apparently inspired by the super-fundamentalist terrorist organization Islamic State and not by Hamas or any other Palestinian group. Palestinians gather in front of the house of the perpetrator of the attack in Tel Aviv, Dia Hamarsha, in the village of Yabad, near Jenin pic.twitter.com/tas1Jbsp6C – Al Jazeera Channel (@AJArabic) March 29, 2022 On Sunday, two police officers were killed in an attack in Chandera by two terrorists who were shot. Five days ago, an Arab Israeli terrorist killed four people at a mall in the southern city of Beersheba. The terrorist – who had previously been convicted of attempting to join the Islamic State – was shot by passersby. The PA leader also warned that the “condemnable incident” could spark retaliatory Israeli attacks on Palestinians. The recent terrorist attacks on Israelis have been followed by alleged hate crimes against Palestinians in the West Bank. Last week, Palestinians living in Jama’in, near Nablus, woke up and found that someone had tried to burn a mosque in their city overnight. A slogan reading “Jews will not be silent when they kill us” was graffiti on a nearby wall, along with a Star of David, according to images from the scene. MK Mansour Abbas, leader of the Islamist Ra’am party, speaks during a plenary session in the Knesset Assembly Hall in Jerusalem on January 5, 2022. (Yonatan Sindel / Flash90) Prominent Arab Israeli politicians also condemned the attack in Bnei Brak on Tuesday, including Joint List leader Ayman Odeh and party leader Ra’am Mansour Abbas. The latter, whose party is a member of the ruling coalition, described the shootings as “a repressive, heinous terrorist crime against innocent civilians”. “We will not stop just condemning, because the terror does not stop and does not bow its head. “We are determined to take a peaceful path, despite all the extremists,” said Mansour Abbas. Israeli police and rescue workers at the scene of the March 29, 2022, Bnei Brak shooting. (Avshalom Sassoni / Flash90) Odeh also condemned the attacks. However, he compared the Israelis killed in Bnei Brak to Palestinians killed during clashes with Israeli forces. “Five civilians were killed today – each a world on its own. “They are joined by the 51 Palestinians killed since the beginning of the year – each a world on its own.” “It is time to end the source of hatred that is the accursed occupation and to establish peace that will bring security and normalcy to both peoples,” Ode added. Do you appreciate the Times of Israel? If so, we have a request. Every day, our journalists aim to keep you informed of the most important developments that deserve your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fast, fair and free coverage of Israel and the Jewish world. We are interested in Israel – and we know you care. 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