The latest Israeli-Palestinian unrest began about three weeks ago as Israelis provoked Palestinians through entering Al-Aqsa Mosque and banned Palestinians from praying inside. The violence later spread to Arab neighborhoods of east Jerusalem and to the West Bank, and on Tuesday there were disturbances in Jaffa, a largely Arab area of Tel Aviv. Along with the four Israelis killed in stabbings by Palestinian attackers and a roadside shooting in the last week, five Palestinians, including three of the attackers, have also been killed. On Wednesday, new stabbings occurred outside a crowded mall in central Israel, in a southern Israeli town and in the Old City of Jerusalem. Many Palestinians believe Israel is trying to expand Jewish presence at the site, a claim Israel adamantly denies and considers slanderous. Al-Aqsa is administered by Islamic authorities, Jews are allowed to visit the site during certain hours but not pray there.According to an Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the ban for Israeli ministers on the holy site because he was concerned that any high-profile visits there could spark further violence. In 2000, then-opposition leader Ariel Sharon visited the Temple Mount known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary shortly before the second Palestinian intifada erupted. Netanyahu's ban, which initially only applied to Jewish lawmakers, sparked an angry response from Uri Ariel, a Cabinet minister from the pro-settler Jewish Home party, who recently visited the site and drew Palestinian claims of a provocation. He said the decision was "unfathomable". Responding to the pressure, Netanyahu later updated the ban to include all lawmakers. That, in turn, sparked angry threats from several Arab lawmakers who said Netanyahu had no moral authority over them. Two of the lawmakers have already announced that they plan to visit the site on Friday.Netanyahu's move to try and calm the situation appeared to put the Israeli leader on a collision course with hard-liners within his own governing coalition. They have been putting intense pressure on Netanyahu to respond to the surge in violence with a tough crackdown and increased settlement activity. But Netanyahu is also wary of angering the American administration and risking another full-fledged uprising with too tough a response that could lead to a higher number of casualties on both sides. The U.S. has given positive signal to Netanyahu despite the stranded relations. The United States may resume talks on its defense grants to Israel when Netanyahu visits Washington next month, an aide to President Barack Obama said on Thursday. Israel and the United States had been looking to extend a 10-year aid package worth about $3 billion annually and due to expire in 2017. Netanyahu suspended the talks ahead of the July nuclear deal between Iran and world powers that he opposed. Before the suspension, the two sides were close to a new package of grants worth $3.6 billion to $3.7 billion.