Former Israeli PM holds Ben-Gvir responsible for synagogue shooting

Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid has held National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir responsible for a shooting attack that killed at least seven Israelis near a synagogue in occupied East Jerusalem.

"You are responsible, hold the responsibility instead of looking all day for a person to blame," Lapid told the local Ynet radio.

"This man does not know how to make anything, he is living in the TikTok [mobile application] and looks for someone to blame," Lapid added.

The opposition leader also accused Ben-Gvir of failing to carry out his duties as national security minister.

The accusation came after seven Israeli settlers were killed in a shooting attack near a synagogue in Neve Yaakov settlement in occupied East Jerusalem Friday night.

READ MORE: Israel seals off home of Jerusalem shooter, kills teen in West Bank

On Saturday, Ben-Gvir accused Israel's Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara of being late in ordering the closure of the house of the Palestinian attacker.

Israeli settlers verbally attacked Ben-Gvir as he visited the scene of the attack on Friday.

A video published by Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper showed the far-right minister while being escorted away by police amid verbal altercations with settlers.

Ben-Gvir triggered a storm of Palestinian condemnations on January 3, when he visited the flashpoint Al Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem amid warnings of unrest.

Ben-Gvir holds far-right views on the Palestinians and has called for their displacement. He has repeatedly joined illegal Israeli settlers in storming the Al Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem.

In November, Israeli President Isaac Herzog warned in a leaked audio that "the whole world is worried" about Ben-Gvir's far-right views.

On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a request by Ben-Gvir to allow illegal settlers to organise a "provocative" flag march in occupied East Jerusalem.

Friday's synagogue attack came one day after nine Palestinians were killed and dozens injured in an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.

READ MORE: Injuries reported in second gun attack in old city of Jerusalem

Palestine condemns Israeli punitive measures after Jerusalem attack

Meanwhile, Palestine has condemned Israel's collective punitive measures against Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem.

On Saturday, the Israeli government announced measures aimed at expediting gun permits for illegal settlers, and closing homes of Palestinians involved in attacks against Israelis.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said his government will take measures to deprive families of Palestinian attackers from national insurance and other family benefits.

In a statement on Sunday, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry termed the Israeli measures as "grave violations of international law, the Geneva Conventions, a collective punishment, and an extension of the Israeli policies aimed at affecting the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem and emptying it from its indigenous people."

The ministry called on the international community to intervene to halt the Israeli punitive measures against the Palestinians.

On Thursday, at least nine Palestinians were killed and dozens injured in an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, in a move never recognised by the international community.