At least 42 people were arrested by the police following yesterday evening’s terrorist attack in front of a Jerusalem synagogue. The police made it known, explaining that those arrested – including members of the attacker’s family – are all residents of the a-Tur neighborhood in East Jerusalem. The army and police, following the attack in which seven Israeli civilians were killed, have raised the state of alert throughout the country, with further deployments of forces in the West Bank and the garrison of public places in Israel. And this morning a gunman opened fire in East Jerusalem, injuring at least two people. This was reported by the Israeli rescue service, which identified the injured as two men, aged 23 and 47, who are said to be in moderate to serious conditions.
US condemnation
The White House “strongly condemns the heinous terrorist attack that took place this evening in a Jerusalem synagogue”, “we are shocked and saddened by the loss of human lives”. An attack “tragically occurred on International Holocaust Remembrance Day”. This is what we read in a note. “The United States will extend its full support to the government and people of Israel.”
Jenin, in the streets of terror
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An “attack on the civilized world“: this is how US President Joe Biden defined the attack that targeted a synagogue causing seven deaths. Biden called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to assure him of his support and recalling “the United States‘ commitment to Israel’s security” as stated in a statement from the White House.
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The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, has strongly condemned “the terrorist attack perpetrated by a Palestinian in front of a synagogue in Jerusalem”, an attack which has so far caused the death of seven people. Guterres stressed how “particularly hateful” that this attack targeted a place of worship and “the very day Jewish Holocaust Remembrance Day is commemorated.” He then added that “there is never an excuse for terrorist attacks: they must all be clearly condemned and rejected”. The Israeli premier, Benjamin Netanyahu, noted that what happened in the evening in East Jerusalem was “one of the worst attacks in recent years”.
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Party in the streets in Gaza and Jenin
While the dead from the attack are being counted in Jerusalem, in Jenin, in the West Bank, the news of the attack was celebrated with “fireworks and shots in the air”. In various locations in the Gaza Strip dozens of Palestinians gathered in spontaneous demonstrations to celebrate the attack on Jerusalem. Similar celebrations were reported in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
The attack follows days of violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. And tensions escalated further Thursday morning, when a raid by Israeli troops in the West Bank on a terrorist cell left at least nine Palestinians dead. The reaction on Thursday night was the firing of numerous rockets from Gaza, to which Israel reacted with air raids. Tensions were also high in Jerusalem and on the Temple Mount on Friday, even though Muslim prayers went ahead without problems. Complicated days are expected for the Netanyahu government, which took office just a few weeks ago.