On Friday night, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, seven Israelis were murdered and three were wounded near a synagogue in the Neve Yaakov neighborhood of Jerusalem. The terrorist arrived at the scene around 8:15 PM by car and opened fire at the people. The Palestinian terrorist, a resident of Jerusalem, then fled to the Arab neighborhood of Beit Hanina a few hundred meters away. He was shot and killed by security forces as he exited the vehicle. A handgun, presumably the weapon used in the attack, was found at the scene.
Magen David Adom said its medics declared five victims dead at the scene, and another two victims were declared dead at hospitals in Jerusalem. MDA said the dead were five men, aged 20, 25, 30, 50, and 60, and two women, aged 60 and 70.
תיעוד: רגע ניטרול המחבל בפיגוע בירושלים
השוטר שניטרל את המחבל סיפר: “הוא ירה עלינו תוך כדי ריצה. אחרי שירינו עליו הוא ניסה לקחת את הנשק שלו”@sapirlipkin pic.twitter.com/J85Zi7QiLU
— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) January 27, 2023
The wounded victims included a 15-year-old boy in moderate-to-serious condition, a 24-year-old man in moderate condition, and a 60-year-woman, also in moderate condition.
On Saturday morning, a 13-year-old Palestinian boy armed with a handgun shot and wounded two Israelis, a father, age 59, and son, in his 20s, near the Old City of Jerusalem. The son, an off-duty officer in the Paratroopers Brigade, returned fire despite his wounds, hitting the terrorist.
A 13 year-old Palestinian terrorist shoots at a group of Jewish people (including children) near the City of David in Jerusalem.
He wounded two people before being shot and neutralized. pic.twitter.com/5oVcsIOAdS
— Hananya Naftali (@HananyaNaftali) January 28, 2023
The victims were taken to Shaare Zedek Medical Center with gunshot wounds to their upper bodies where they were listed in serious but stable condition.
Rockets were fired at Israel overnight on Thursday from Gaza.
Celebrations were held in several Arab cities in Israel and in Gaza.
Disgusting! On the day that the world remembers the horrors of the Holocaust, Palestinians are celebrating the murder of innocent Israelis in Jerusalem with fireworks and dancing. This is the result of decades of Palestinian incitement and hate that the world ignores. pic.twitter.com/YX89rf8v2v
— Ambassador Gilad Erdan גלעד ארדן (@giladerdan1) January 27, 2023
The Palestinian Authority Security Council released a statement in the official WAFA news agency blaming Israel for the attacks.
“The Palestinian leadership holds the Israeli occupation government fully responsible for the dangerous escalation that the situation has reached due to its crimes, which amounted to 31 martyrs during the current month, and its continuation of its colonial settlement practices, land annexation, house demolitions, arrests, policies of ethnic cleansing and apartheid, and the desecration of Islamic, Christian holy sites, and storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque,” the statement read. “These policies are a result of the Israeli occupation government’s evasion of its commitment to implement the signed agreements and its violation of the resolutions of international legitimacy. The leadership warns the occupation government against continuing this approach, which will lead to further deterioration, threatening security and stability in the entire region.”
A statement from a spokesperson for UN chief Antonio Guterres said the secretary-general “strongly condemns today’s terrorist attack by a Palestinian perpetrator outside a synagogue in Jerusalem” and “extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a prompt recovery to those injured.”
“It is particularly abhorrent that the attack occurred at a place of worship, and on the very day we commemorated International Holocaust Remembrance Day. There is never any excuse for acts of terrorism. They must be clearly condemned and rejected by all,” the statement added.
Guterres said he was “deeply worried about the current escalation of violence in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. This is the moment to exercise utmost restraint.”
The European Union decried the Palestinian terrorist attacks but warned Israel not to use deadly force in its response.
“The European Union fully recognizes Israel’s legitimate security concerns, as evidenced by the latest terrorist attacks, but it has to be stressed that lethal force must only be used as a last resort when it is strictly unavoidable in order to protect life,” said Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
He also blamed Israel’s war on terrorism in Judea and Samaria for the “spiral of violence”.
“More than 150 people were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank, including 30 children,” he said, claiming this was “the highest number since the end of the second intifada in 2005.”
“[It is] urgent… to reverse this spiral of violence and engage in meaningful efforts to restart peace negotiations,” he said. “We call on all parties not to react to provocations.”
Russia also called on Israel to show “maximum restraint.”
“We perceive this development of events with deep concern. We call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and prevent further escalation of tension,” Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“Recent events clearly confirm the need to urgently relaunch a constructive Palestinian-Israeli dialogue and to renounce unilateral actions,” it added.
Germany also warned of a “spiral of violence” and called for negotiations.
“A dialogue and cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian authorities are more necessary than ever in order to eliminate terror,” a spokeswoman for Germany’s foreign ministry said. “The spiral of violence that has already caused too many casualties on both sides this year must not continue.”
