DHAKA: Israel has announced that it will begin banning alleged Palestinian attackers and their relatives from occupied East Jerusalem as increasingly harsh restrictions are being imposed on local Palestinians amid weeks of protests and clashes.

The ongoing violence was triggered last month by incursions into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound - the third holiest site for Muslims - by right-wing Israeli groups, reports the al-jazeera.com

Protests against Israel's ongoing occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip have increased in frequency, while Israeli forces have responded with force, using tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition against demonstrators.

Speaking to local radio on Thursday, Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, a member of the ultra-nationalist Jewish Home party, announced that alleged attackers and their "supportive" family members would be stripped of their Jerusalem residency rights and social security.

Most Palestinians who live in occupied East Jerusalem do not have Israeli or Palestinian Authority citizenship and instead carry an Israeli-issued residency permit.

BDST: 1237 HRS, OCT 16, 2015
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