While we’re celebrating major Republican victories post election night, Israel is mourning the loss of another person who was killed in a terrorist attack today as a member of Hamas rammed his car into a crowd of pedestrians. Not only was one killed, but 14 people were injured with five of them in serious condition:
CBN NEWS – An Arab terrorist driving a commercial van ploughed into a crowd of pedestrians near Jerusalem’s Old City, killing one and injuring 14 others, five seriously.
Wednesday’s attack took place at a light rail train station near Jerusalem’s Old City near where a similar attack two weeks ago killed a three-month-old girl and 22-year-old woman.
Police said after ramming into the crowd, the terrorist kept driving along the tracks, smashing into several cars before exiting his van and attacking police with an iron rod. Border Police at the scene shot and killed him. He was later identified Ibrahim al-Akari, 48, a Hamas member from Shuafat, a predominantly Arab neighborhood in east Jerusalem.
Israeli Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett accused Palestinian Authority Chairman Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas] of being the driver in the vehicle of death. Israeli officials have accused Abbas of inciting violence.
Hamas welcomed the attack, saying it was intended to defend al-Aksa, the Muslim term for the Temple Mount.
Earlier Wednesday, Israel Police briefly closed the Temple Mount to subdue masked Arab rioters throwing rocks and firebombs at Israeli security forces near the Mughrabi Gate, the site’s sole entrance for non-Muslims visitors. Police used stun grenades to quell the violence. One Arab rioter was reportedly injured in the clashes.