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| Jerusalem synagogue attack: Israeli PM vows to respond with 'heavy hand' after four killed at Har Nof temple 'by terrorists with axes' | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to "respond with a heavy hand" after at least four people were killed and eight injured in what Israeli police described as a "terrorist" attack on a synagogue in Jerusalem. | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to "respond with a heavy hand" after at least four people were killed and eight injured in what Israeli police described as a "terrorist" attack on a synagogue in Jerusalem. |
| Mr Netanyahu condemned Tuesday's violence as a "cruel murder of Jews who came to pray and were killed by despicable murderers”. He blamed the attack on Hamas and Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas. | Mr Netanyahu condemned Tuesday's violence as a "cruel murder of Jews who came to pray and were killed by despicable murderers”. He blamed the attack on Hamas and Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas. |
| President Abbas denounced the bloodshed in a statement, saying: "The presidency condemns the attack on Jewish worshippers in their place of prayer and condemns the killing of civilians no matter who is doing it." | President Abbas denounced the bloodshed in a statement, saying: "The presidency condemns the attack on Jewish worshippers in their place of prayer and condemns the killing of civilians no matter who is doing it." |
| Writing on Twitter, Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said officers shot both suspects dead after they entered the synagogue in the ultra-Orthodox Har Nof neighbourhood armed with knives and axes and attacked worshippers. An Israeli military spokesman posted a picture of a bloodied meat cleaver inside the building, apparently used in the killing spree. | Writing on Twitter, Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said officers shot both suspects dead after they entered the synagogue in the ultra-Orthodox Har Nof neighbourhood armed with knives and axes and attacked worshippers. An Israeli military spokesman posted a picture of a bloodied meat cleaver inside the building, apparently used in the killing spree. |
| Mr Rosenfeld said two police officers were among those injured in the attack, the deadliest to occur in Jerusalem for years. | Mr Rosenfeld said two police officers were among those injured in the attack, the deadliest to occur in Jerusalem for years. |
| Police said the attackers were Palestinians from East Jerusalem. | Police said the attackers were Palestinians from East Jerusalem. |
| The US Secretary of State John Kerry responded angrily to the attack and demanded that the Palestinian leadership take immediate steps to end incitement to violence. | The US Secretary of State John Kerry responded angrily to the attack and demanded that the Palestinian leadership take immediate steps to end incitement to violence. |
| Mr Kerry, who spoke before meeting in London with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, said the violence witnessed on Tuesday "has no place anywhere". | Mr Kerry, who spoke before meeting in London with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, said the violence witnessed on Tuesday "has no place anywhere". |
| "Innocent people who had come to worship died in the sanctuary of a synagogue. They were hatcheted, hacked and murdered in that holy place in an act of pure terror and senseless brutality and murder. | "Innocent people who had come to worship died in the sanctuary of a synagogue. They were hatcheted, hacked and murdered in that holy place in an act of pure terror and senseless brutality and murder. |
| "I call on Palestinians at every single level of leadership to condemn this in the most powerful terms." | "I call on Palestinians at every single level of leadership to condemn this in the most powerful terms." |
| One man who was praying at the time of the attack told Israeli Channel 2 TV news: "I tried to escape. The man with the knife approached me. There was a chair and table between us ... my prayer shawl got caught. I left it there and escaped.” | One man who was praying at the time of the attack told Israeli Channel 2 TV news: "I tried to escape. The man with the knife approached me. There was a chair and table between us ... my prayer shawl got caught. I left it there and escaped.” |
| Israeli TV footage showed the synagogue surrounded by police and rescue workers and the surrounding area cordoned off. | Israeli TV footage showed the synagogue surrounded by police and rescue workers and the surrounding area cordoned off. |
| The violence comes amid high tensions in the city, with a wave of attacks killing at least six people in recent weeks. | The violence comes amid high tensions in the city, with a wave of attacks killing at least six people in recent weeks. |
| Two weeks ago, a Palestinian driver was shot dead by Israeli police after ramming his car into a crowd at a tram stop in East Jerusalem, killing a border policeman and wounding 13 others. | Two weeks ago, a Palestinian driver was shot dead by Israeli police after ramming his car into a crowd at a tram stop in East Jerusalem, killing a border policeman and wounding 13 others. |
| A Palestinian bus driver was found hanging in his vehicle in a Jewish part of Jerusalem late Sunday, which was ruled a suicide by an inquest. | A Palestinian bus driver was found hanging in his vehicle in a Jewish part of Jerusalem late Sunday, which was ruled a suicide by an inquest. |
| His relatives insisted that Yousef al-Ramouni, 32, was murdered because he was Arab. | His relatives insisted that Yousef al-Ramouni, 32, was murdered because he was Arab. |
| Hamas praised the attack but did not directly claim responsibility for it. In a statement, it said it was a "response to continued Israeli crimes, the killing, desecrating al-Aqsa (mosque)”. | Hamas praised the attack but did not directly claim responsibility for it. In a statement, it said it was a "response to continued Israeli crimes, the killing, desecrating al-Aqsa (mosque)”. |