Palestinian unrest intensified with more stabbings Thursday in a spate of attacks that resulted in increased security measures in Jerusalem's Old City. Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli forces in a number of locations in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, where a 20-year-old protester was shot dead by Israeli security forces, according to a Palestinian hospital official and witnesses. Dozens of protesters throwing stones and firebombs faced off against Israeli security forces firing live and rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades near the West Bank city of Ramallah and elsewhere Thursday. More than 130 Palestinians have been wounded in the demonstrations and clashes. Seven Palestinians, including four alleged attackers, have been killed in the unrest. Four Israelis have been killed in attacks over the past week. A Palestinian stabbed a 25-year-old Jewish man in Jerusalem, leaving him in serious condition. The 19-year-old assailant, identified as Subhi Abu Khalifah from Shuafat in east Jerusalem, was arrested. Later in the day, an Israeli soldier and three passers-by were stabbed and lightly wounded in Tel Aviv and the attacker killed. The suspect, who police identified as Thaer Abu Ghazaleh in his late teens, was shot dead by another soldier. In the third incident, a Palestinian stabbed an Israeli near the Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba in the West Bank, the military said. The victim was seriously wounded and the attacker fled. An Arab also stabbed and wounded a soldier in the northern Israeli town of Afula before being captured, authorities said. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday he would not allow his people to be "dragged" into more violence with Israel. Speaking to business leaders in the West Bank city of Ramallah, he said he was committed to "peaceful popular resistance," though he backs the protesters who have clashed with Israeli police at Al-Aqsa. He insisted the Palestinians are not interested in a further escalation but that his "hands are with those who are protecting Al-Aqsa mosque." Security measures were further tightened Thursday, with at least one metal detector set up in Jerusalem's Old City at a main entrance and police stationed on rooftops. Israel also reimposed a ban on men under 50 attending Friday Muslim prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, which is common when tensions flare. An Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity under regulations, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the ban on officials visiting the holy site because he was concerned it could spark further violence. But 1948 Palestinian lawmakers have vowed to defy the order and plan to make a joint visit to the compound.In a statement from Geneva Thursday, the U.N. human rights chief appealed for calm, warning that "more bloodshed will only lead to more hatred on both sides." Zeid Raad al-Hussein said he was "deeply concerned at the increasing number of reported attacks" by both Israeli settlers and Palestinians. "The high number of casualties, in particular those resulting from the use of live ammunition by Israeli security forces, raise concerns of excessive use of force," he said. In another sign of tensions, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat – a former military officer and licensed gun owner – defended his decision to carry a weapon during a visit this week to an Arab neighborhood. Thursday he encouraged other licensed gun owners to also carry their weapons. "One of the advantages Israel has is that there are many veterans of military units with operational combat experience," he said. "Having a weapon increases the resident's confidence."
