A Palestinian driver rammed his minivan into pedestrians in central Jerusalem Wednesday, killing one policeman and injuring 13 people. The attacker was shot dead by police.
In a separate attack later on Wednesday, three Israeli soldiers were injured when a Palestinian motorist drove into them near the Al-Arub refugee camp close to Bethlehem.
The latest incidents come in the wake of continued tensions between the Palestinian protestors and Israeli police over right-wing Jewish demands to be able to pray inside the hill top compound, a site venerated by both Jews and Muslims. Jews call the compound Temple Mount, whereas Muslims refer to it as the Noble Sanctuary. Last week, the Israeli police shot dead 32-year-old Palestinian Moataz Hijazi suspected of killing far-right Jewish activist, Yehuda Glick. The incident provoked fierce clashes between the Palestinians and Israeli police in East Jerusalem and Israel announced the closure of the compound temporarily.
Police identified the attacker in the first incident as Ibrahim al Akari, a 38-year-old Palestinian.
According to Police, Akari drove his van into three border policemen who were crossing a road that divides a Palestinian neighborhood from an ultra-orthodox Jewish area,. He then rammed his vehicle into several people at a railway stop. After stopping the van, he came out and started striking pedestrians with a metal pipe before being shot dead by a border policemen, reports The Guardian.
The policeman killed in the attack was identified as Jadan Assad from the Druze town of Beit Jan in northern Israel.
The shooting was hailed by Hamas and it described Akari as a hero while a Facebook page belonging to Akari praised the shooting of far right activist Yehuda Glick last week.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of inciting violence in Jerusalem.
"We are in a prolonged battle in Jerusalem. I have no doubt we will win. We are deploying all the necessary forces to restore calm and security to all parts of the city but it may certainly be a prolonged struggle," he said, reports The Associated Press.
