JERUSALEM – Two Israelis were shot dead Sunday after a Palestinian resident of East Jerusalem went on a rampage at a busy intersection that divides the Jewish and Arab parts of the city.
Israeli police said that six people were injured in the attack. Two were initially said to be in critical condition, but both – a woman in her 60s and a police officer – later died of their wounds in a Jerusalem hospital.
Jerusalem has seen its share of violence over the past year. Kitchen knives and vehicular attacks are so common that Israelis have termed it “the knife intifada” or uprising. However, a shooting rampage across several locations is rare.
According to Israeli police and witnesses, the attacker opened fire from his car at a busy bus stop. After shooting at several civilians, the 39-year-old Palestinian from the Silwan neighborhood continued through one of the city’s main thoroughfares for several blocks, past the Israel police headquarters while firing shots as officers on motorcycles gave chase. He was eventually shot and killed.
Israel media reported that the suspect had been convicted recently of violence and incitement. He was supposed to enter an Israeli jail Sunday to serve a four-month sentence, the media reported. Police issued a court-ordered blackout on his details.
Since October 2015, there has been a steady stream of stabbings, attempted stabbings, vehicular attacks and shootings in both Israel and the West Bank. The attacks killed 38 Israelis, two U.S. citizens and an Eritrean. Israelis said that the majority of more than 230 Palestinians who have been killed were carrying out attacks.
The violence quieted down during the summer, but two weeks ago there was an uptick in the violence, which has taken place mainly in the West Bank but also inside Israel.
Some Israeli lawmakers immediately called for the home of the attacker in this incident to be demolished, a common punitive practice that Israel believes helps to deter further attacks. Others called for the blue identity cards that give permanent-residency status to Palestinians living in East Jerusalem of all those related to the perpetrator to be immediately revoked.
It is unclear at this stage whether the government will seek such action.
Israeli Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan said there had been no warnings of an attack.
He said that in response to the attack, thousands of Israeli police would be deployed around the city to investigate the incident and maintain security ahead of the Jewish high holy days, which began last week. Israeli media reported clashes between police and Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem as security officers flooded the area.
In Gaza, militant Islamist group Hamas applauded the attack as “heroic” and said it was a natural response to Israel’s crimes and daily violations against the Palestinian people and holy sites.
Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesman for Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization by Israel and the United States, said the slayings confirmed the “intifada was continuing.”
(c) 2016, The Washington Post ยท Ruth Eglash
