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| Israeli police shoot dead suspect in assassination attempt on far-right rabbi | Israeli police shoot dead suspect in assassination attempt on far-right rabbi |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Israeli police have shot dead a Palestinian man suspected of being the gunman in the attempted murder of a far-right rabbi, Yehuda Glick, in Jerusalem on Wednesday night. | Israeli police have shot dead a Palestinian man suspected of being the gunman in the attempted murder of a far-right rabbi, Yehuda Glick, in Jerusalem on Wednesday night. |
| The dead man, whose family identified him as 32-year-old former prisoner Muataz Hijazi, was shot on the roof of his home during a police raid in the city early on Thursday morning. | |
| “Anti-terrorist police units surrounded a house in the Abu Tor neighbourhood to arrest a suspect in the attempted assassination of Yehuda Glick. Immediately upon arrival they were shot at. They returned fire and shot and killed the suspect,” a police spokesman, Micky Rosenfeld, said. | “Anti-terrorist police units surrounded a house in the Abu Tor neighbourhood to arrest a suspect in the attempted assassination of Yehuda Glick. Immediately upon arrival they were shot at. They returned fire and shot and killed the suspect,” a police spokesman, Micky Rosenfeld, said. |
| Hijazi was jailed in 2002 for security offences reportedly committed during the second intifada against Israeli occupation and had been released in 2012. | Hijazi was jailed in 2002 for security offences reportedly committed during the second intifada against Israeli occupation and had been released in 2012. |
| Neighbours described hearing a burst of gunfire at about 5.30am as armed police swamped the area. According to the police account Hijazi was hiding behind solar panels on the roof when he shot at officers who returned fire, killing him. Bloodstains were visible on the roof. | |
| Following Hijazi’s death the Islamic Jihad group published an obituary notice, saying he was a member of the organisation but without claiming responsibility for the attack. | |
| The killing follows Wednesday night’s shooting of Glick. The rabbi is a prominent activist closely associated with recent efforts to gain more Jewish prayer rights on the Temple Mount – which is also revered by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary in Jerusalem’s Old City, a compound that includes the al-Aqsa Mosque. | The killing follows Wednesday night’s shooting of Glick. The rabbi is a prominent activist closely associated with recent efforts to gain more Jewish prayer rights on the Temple Mount – which is also revered by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary in Jerusalem’s Old City, a compound that includes the al-Aqsa Mosque. |
| Police took the rare step of shutting the compound to all visitors until further notice, after far-right Israeli activists had called for supporters to go to the site in response to the shooting. | Police took the rare step of shutting the compound to all visitors until further notice, after far-right Israeli activists had called for supporters to go to the site in response to the shooting. |
| Hijazi’s aunt Taghreed said he had been beaten before being shot, contradicting the police account. The Guardian could not verify the claim. | Hijazi’s aunt Taghreed said he had been beaten before being shot, contradicting the police account. The Guardian could not verify the claim. |
| According to some Israeli media reports, quoting sources in the Israeli domestic security agency, armed officers approached Hijazi near his house. His family, however, said he had been inside the house in his bedroom. | According to some Israeli media reports, quoting sources in the Israeli domestic security agency, armed officers approached Hijazi near his house. His family, however, said he had been inside the house in his bedroom. |
| Neighbours added that they were awoken by the sound of shooting and that police shot baton rounds at those who had tried to leave their houses to see what was happening. | Neighbours added that they were awoken by the sound of shooting and that police shot baton rounds at those who had tried to leave their houses to see what was happening. |
| “It was between 5.30 and 5.40,” said Ra’ad Aliyan, a pharmacist who lives next door, told the Guardian as police kept reporters from Hijazi’s house. Another resident of the same building, Mandi Burkan, showed an injury to his back where he said he had been hit by a baton round trying to go and see what was happening. | “It was between 5.30 and 5.40,” said Ra’ad Aliyan, a pharmacist who lives next door, told the Guardian as police kept reporters from Hijazi’s house. Another resident of the same building, Mandi Burkan, showed an injury to his back where he said he had been hit by a baton round trying to go and see what was happening. |
| As police removed Hijazi’s body, residents threw objects from their balconies on one group while police fired teargas and stun grenades. | As police removed Hijazi’s body, residents threw objects from their balconies on one group while police fired teargas and stun grenades. |
| The latest incidents – following weeks of clashes in the city and the killing of two people when a car with a Palestinian driver drove into pedestrians at a train stop – have further escalated tensions in the city. | The latest incidents – following weeks of clashes in the city and the killing of two people when a car with a Palestinian driver drove into pedestrians at a train stop – have further escalated tensions in the city. |
| Glick was shot after a man in a motorcycle helmet approached him at a conference also attended by several far-right Israeli MPs. The gunman then shot him several times. | Glick was shot after a man in a motorcycle helmet approached him at a conference also attended by several far-right Israeli MPs. The gunman then shot him several times. |
| Hijazi had worked in the canteen at the Begin Centre where the conference was taking place. | |
| Glick was seriously injured in the attack; his condition on Thursday was described as serious but stable. | Glick was seriously injured in the attack; his condition on Thursday was described as serious but stable. |
| The US-born rabbi was closely associated with the Temple Mount Faithful, a religious rightwing group that seeks to rebuild a Jewish temple on the site containing al-Aqsa Mosque. The site is where the ancient second Jewish temple reputedly once stood. | The US-born rabbi was closely associated with the Temple Mount Faithful, a religious rightwing group that seeks to rebuild a Jewish temple on the site containing al-Aqsa Mosque. The site is where the ancient second Jewish temple reputedly once stood. |
| Glick often led groups of religious Jews to visit the site and had been a key speaker at the conference billed as “Israel Returns to the Temple Mount” with Likud MPs Moshe Feiglin and Miri Regev. | Glick often led groups of religious Jews to visit the site and had been a key speaker at the conference billed as “Israel Returns to the Temple Mount” with Likud MPs Moshe Feiglin and Miri Regev. |
| Feiglin is a controversial figure, who critics have accused of stoking tensions at the religious site. He told the Israeli website Ynet that the man who shot Glick had confirmed the rabbi’s identity in an “Arab-accented” Hebrew, a claim yet to be confirmed by police. | Feiglin is a controversial figure, who critics have accused of stoking tensions at the religious site. He told the Israeli website Ynet that the man who shot Glick had confirmed the rabbi’s identity in an “Arab-accented” Hebrew, a claim yet to be confirmed by police. |
| “What happened is horrible but very expected. Glick was constantly threatened. The fact that he was not assigned protection at all times is a failure. I say this as someone who is the target of constant incitement,” Feiglin said. | “What happened is horrible but very expected. Glick was constantly threatened. The fact that he was not assigned protection at all times is a failure. I say this as someone who is the target of constant incitement,” Feiglin said. |
| The MP’s spokesman, Shai Malka, described the moment of the shooting: “I stood next to him [Glick]. The conference was over and he went outside to load his car. | The MP’s spokesman, Shai Malka, described the moment of the shooting: “I stood next to him [Glick]. The conference was over and he went outside to load his car. |
| “Next to it stood a Palestinian motorcyclist wearing black. I saw his gun and I yelled to the woman with me, ‘Run, escape.’ We started running. The Palestinian said to him: ‘Sorry, I have to do this,’ and shot him.” | “Next to it stood a Palestinian motorcyclist wearing black. I saw his gun and I yelled to the woman with me, ‘Run, escape.’ We started running. The Palestinian said to him: ‘Sorry, I have to do this,’ and shot him.” |