Egypt expressed its “categorical rejection and denouncement” of the Jerusalem shooting and stressed its “condemnation of all operations targeting civilians,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Saturday.
“Egypt warned of the severe dangers of the ongoing escalation between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, calling for the exercising of maximum restraint and an end to aggression and provocative measures,” the ministry stressed.
The ministry warned against “slipping into a vicious cycle of violence that worsens the political and humanitarian situation and undermines efforts to achieve calm and all chances of reviving the peace process.”
Egypt also extended condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
A Palestinian gunman opened fire outside an East Jerusalem synagogue on Friday night, killing at least seven people and wounding several others in one of the deadliest attacks on Israelis in years.
The gunman was shot dead by police following a brief chase after the shooting. Israeli police said on Saturday that they have arrested 42 people in connection with the deadly shooting.
Israeli police also said they arrested a 13-year-old Palestinian boy following a second shooting in Jerusalem on Saturday, seriously injuring two. The alleged assailant is being treated in hospital after he was injured by passersby, according to reports.
The incidents came after Israeli forces raided the West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp on Thursday morning, killing nine Palestinians and injuring many others in the deadliest Israeli attack in the occupied territory in more than a year.
The New Year has seen growing Israeli violence against Palestinians, especially in the West Bank and Jerusalem, under the new far-right government of Benjamin Netanyahu.
Egypt has repeatedly called for a fair and comprehensive peace between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, urging Israel to stop unilateral measures that would complicate the situation and undermine chances of reviving the peace process.
Source: