A Palestinian drove a car into a crowd waiting for the Jerusalem light rail at the Givat HaTachmoshet (Ammunition Hill) station near police headquarters in Jerusalem on Wednesday. A three-month-old baby died and at least seven pedestrians were wounded, three of them seriously.
The driver attempted to escape by foot, and was shot dead by a policeman on site. All 8 injured people were taken to the hospital. Unconfirmed reports said the suspect was Abdelrahman al-Shaludi, a former Palestinian prisoner from the Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan.
A Hamas spokesperson said in response to the reports that if indeed it was a terrorist attack, that it was ‘’the natural response to Israel’s actions in Jerusalem, particularly Jewish incursions into the al-Aqsa Mosque,’’ Israel Radio reported.
Officials at Hadassah Mt. Scopus Hospital announced the death of the infant, Hayah Zisso, shortly after 8 p.m., after doctors tried to stabilize the unconscious child’s condition, from a severe head wound in the attack.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a security consultation in conjunction with Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch, Israel Police Commissioner Insp.-Gen. Yohanan Danino and Israel Security Agency Director Yoram Cohen, according to a government statement.
“In the telephone consultation, the Prime Minister was updated on the details of vehicular terrorist attack in Jerusalem; he ordered that security forces in Jerusalem be reinforced.
‘This is how Abu Mazen’s (Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas) partners in government act, the same Abu Mazen who – only a few days ago – incited toward a terrorist attack in Jerusalem,’” he said.
Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat told Israel’s Channel 1 : “We must restore peace and security in Jerusalem – as I have said for months, the situation in Jerusalem is intolerable and we must act unequivocally against all violence taking place in the city. Today, more than ever, it is clear that we must send police forces into neighborhoods where there are disturbances, placing them strategically and widely in significant numbers.”
“Following my request, the Prime Minister has given instructions to reinforce the police forces in order for us to implement an operational action plan formulated to deal with riots, including the addition of personnel and special units, using technological means, and increased intelligence’’.