Two Palestinian men from East Jerusalem were shot dead after they attacked a synagogue in the Har Nof neighborhood early Tuesday morning. The men were reportedly armed with a pistol, a knife and axes, according to BBC.
Israel Police Foreign Press Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld confirmed via Twitter that four Israelis were killed in the attack before the attackers were shot and killed by the police.
Rosenfeld also confirmed six Israeli worshippers and two policemen are being treated at hospitals in Jerusalem. Four of the wounded are in "serious condition," according to BBC.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a Security Cabinet meeting this afternoon, according to Haaretz."We will respond with a firm hand to this brutal murder of Jews who went to pray and were scathed by despicable murder," he said.
"This is a direct result of the incitement lead by Hamas and Abu Mazen (Abbas), incitement that the international community irresponsibly ignores," Natanyahu continued, according to Haaretz.
The office of Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas said in a statement that he "condemns the killing of the worshippers," according to the Associated Press. Abbas also called for an end to Israeli "incitement" and
"provocation," as well as the "invasion" of the holy site.
Hamas did not directly take credit for the attack, but a statement on a Facebook page associated with Hamas called for a "continuation of vendettas" in a translation.
Hamas representatives called the attack a "heroic act," according to The Times of Israel.
