Jerusalem shooter who injured 1 police officer identified as Arab Israeli citizen

6 Feb, 2020 17:24 / Updated 5 years ago

An assailant who opened fire on a group of police officers in Jerusalem’s Old City, injuring one, has been identified by police as an Arab Israeli citizen. The attacker was shot and killed on the spot by law enforcement.

The shooting occurred right outside the Temple Mount on Thursday afternoon. The attacker approached a group of Israeli police stationed near the Lions Gate, abruptly pulling a gun on them and opening fire.

One border police officer was “lightly” injured during the shooting, while the attacker was killed on the spot as multiple officers returned fire.

“The officers responded with determination, neutralized the assailant and prevented further attacks of innocents,” the police said in a statement as cited by local media.

Also on rt.com Jerusalem car ramming against IDF soldiers investigated as a terrorist attack – police

While the attacker was initially believed to be Palestinian, he turned out to be an Arab Israeli citizen from the northern part of the country. According to media reports, the man in his 40s has recently converted to Islam from Christianity, yet no motive has been identified so far.

Israeli forces have come under three attacks in less than 12 hours – early on Thursday, 12 IDF soldiers were injured, including one critically, in an apparent car ramming attack in Jerusalem. The incident was followed by the Old City shooting and a drive-by attack on an IDF military post near the settlement of Dolev, that left one soldier injured. The Dolev assailant managed to flee the scene and remains at large.

Also on rt.com ‘Deal of the Century’ will die before Trump does, Iran’s Khamenei tweets, dubbing the arrangement an ‘American plot’

Israel has seen a surge in violence after US President Donald Trump unveiled his ‘peace plan’, envisioning the creation of an “independent” Palestinian state with its “capital” on the outskirts of East Jerusalem, yet keeps the illegal Israeli settlements in place and denies the Palestinian refugees the right of return. While the plan was touted as the ‘Deal of the Century’ that will bring “peace” to the region by Tel Aviv and Washington, it was met with overwhelming rejection by Palestinians, as well as the rest of the Arab world.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!