Two Palestinians die in hits on Israelis ahead of Kerry’s visit

A SURGE in often spontaneous and leaderless Palestinian street violence since October 1 has challenged Israel’s security system and alarmed the United States, whose Secretary of State John Kerry, is due to come and sound out both sides this week.

Eighty-two Palestinians in all have been killed, some while carrying out attacks and others in clashes with Israeli forces, while 18 Israelis and an American student have been killed in Palestinian stabbings, shootings and car rammings.

The bloodshed has been driven in part by Muslim agitation over stepped-up Jewish visits to a contested Jerusalem shrine, and by long-deadlocked talks on a U.S.-sponsored peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.