Jared Ferrie, CNN • Updated 31st January 2020
( CNN ) — A gunman killed one Israeli and injured four others in a Jerusalem attack Tuesday morning, the Israeli police said.
The gunman was killed by police, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.
According to the Israeli military, the gunman opened fire on the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood of Jerusalem, then fled. He was wounded by police who followed him to a nearby school. He died from his wounds.
A 42-year-old Israeli was killed and four others were injured when the gunman opened fire, a source in the Israeli military told CNN. Three of the injured were a police officer and an Israeli woman who worked for the military, the source said.
Hamas claimed responsibility for the shooting in a statement released on social media.
Palestinian militant groups have previously claimed responsibility for an increasing number of attacks in Jerusalem in recent weeks.
Violence has also rocked Israel from the Gaza Strip. On Tuesday, a car bomb killed at least five members of an elite Israeli security unit who were dismantling explosive devices placed on the Gaza border fence. There were no Israeli casualties.
The attack came as Israeli soldiers deployed around Gaza in response to the spike in violence.
In the past several weeks, armed Palestinians have fired rocks and firebombs at Israeli border troops, and burned vehicles in Israeli-controlled areas. In retaliation, Israeli troops have fired dozens of tear gas canisters and live ammunition into the air, according to a defense official.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Tuesday’s attack.
“On the occasion of the murder of a mother of four by a terrorist who was shooting and throwing stones at Israeli police, I want to commend the tens of thousands of police officers who went out to protect our citizens,” he said in a statement.
“I also want to express my condolences to the family of the wounded police officer. Israel will maintain its tough line against all violent attacks and criminal acts against our citizens.”
No group has claimed responsibility for the recent attacks, but the Israeli military has said it is investigating whether members of Palestinian militant groups were involved.
“All the claims that Palestinian factions are behind the bloodshed are malicious,” Netanyahu said, referring to Abbas’s Fatah organization.
“They are meant to distract us from the attacks by the Islamic State, Hamas and others.”
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