Three dead and four others wounded in a terrorist attack by “men armed with an ax and other weapons” in the central Israeli city of Elad on the country’s Independence Day
- Three people have been killed in a suspected terrorist attack in Elad, Israel
- At least four others were injured by two attackers, one armed with an axe
- The mayor of Elad has urged residents to stay indoors while the perpetrators are at large
- The Palestinian militant group Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, praised the attack
At least three people have been killed in an attack in the central Israeli city of Elad today, health officials said.
Police said they believe the attack was a militant attack and that the attacker fled in a vehicle. Security forces set up roadblocks in the area where the killings took place and a helicopter hovered over the area.
One of the attackers is believed to have carried an axe, but this has yet to be confirmed by police.
The mayor of Elad told residents on TV to stay indoors while security forces are still on duty.
Magen David Adom Ambulance said three people were killed and four others injured; two of the wounded were in serious condition.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, praised the attack and linked it to violence at a holy site in Jerusalem, but took no responsibility for it.
“The storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque must not go unpunished,” said Hamas spokesman Hazem Kassem. “The heroic operation in Tel Aviv is a practical implementation of what the resistance warned against.”
Israel on Thursday celebrated its Independence Day, a festive national holiday when people usually throw barbecues and attend air shows.
Israeli security and rescue personnel work at the scene following today’s suspected terrorist attack in Elad, central Israel, which killed at least three people
Israeli police cordon off an area in Elad, central Israel, after today’s attack, which took place as the Jewish state celebrated its independence
A police officer guards the chain outside the crime scene in Elad, central Israel, where three people were killed and four others injured
The identity of the attacker was not yet known. But Israeli-Palestinian tensions have risen in recent weeks after a spate of attacks in Israel, military operations in the occupied West Bank and violence at the holy site in Jerusalem.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam and was built on a hill that is the holiest site for Jews, which they refer to as the Temple Mount. It lies at the emotional heart of the conflict, and Palestinians and Israeli police have repeatedly clashed there in recent weeks.
Israeli police entered the compound on Thursday to clear away Palestinian protesters after Jewish visits, which had been suspended over the Muslim holidays, resumed.
When visits resumed, dozens of Palestinians gathered and chanted “God is Greatest.” When the police tried to arrest one of them, scuffles broke out.
Police fired rubber bullets at the sprawling esplanade as some Palestinians took shelter in the mosque itself. The police could later be seen directly in an entrance of the barricaded mosque.
Police gather near the scene that killed three people in the central Israeli city of Elad
Security guards and paramedics are pictured at the scene while residents are urged to stay indoors
Police said they responded to dozens of people shouting hate speech and throwing stones, and that one police officer was slightly injured. The Palestinian Red Crescent Ambulance Service said two Palestinians were taken to a hospital after being beaten with batons.
Unlike previous confrontations, Palestinian witnesses said that initially there were no stone throwing. Some of those taking shelter inside the mosque began throwing stones and other objects as police entered the building. The witnesses spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
Under informal arrangements known as the status quo, Jews are allowed to visit the site but not worship there.
In recent years they have visited in increasing numbers with police escorts and many have prayed discreetly, which has angered both the Palestinians and neighboring Jordan, which is the site’s custodian.
Palestinians have long feared that Israel plans to eventually take over or carve up the land. Israel says it is determined to maintain the status quo and blames the militant Islamic group Hamas for instigating the recent violence.