Off the wire
• Afghan president expresses sorrow over deaths of medical staff, civilians after hospital attack  • FARC cautions against signing peace treaty in six months  • Algeria, France vow to boost green economy  • Portuguese president calls for citizens to vote this Sunday  • Afghan president expresses sorrow over deaths of medical staff, civilians after hospital attack  • Brazilian cop murders five family members in killing spree  • Mosquitoes transmitting malaria appear in Slovakia  • 3rd LD: 2 Israelis killed, 2 injured in Jerusalem stabbing and shooting attack  • Urgent: Second Israelis dies from wounds in Jerusalem attack  • 1st LD: UN General Assembly concludes annual high-level debate  
You are here: 　 Home

Islamic Jihad member kills 2 Israelis in east Jerusalem: spokesman

Xinhua, October 4, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Palestinian who stabbed and shot two Israelis in east Jerusalem earlier on Saturday is a member in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement, a spokesman of the group said.

Dawood Shihab, spokesman of Islamic Jihad in Gaza, told Xinhua that Muhanad Halabi, the Islamic Jihad member is the one who carried out the attack in east Jerusalem's Old City.

"The Islamic Jihad officially announces that the one who carried out the attack is one of its members in the West Bank," said Shihab, adding that "Islamic Jihad called on its members and groups to revenge for the settlers' crimes."

He also said that there is a decision made by all the Islamic Jihad members and supporters in the West Bank and in east Jerusalem "to confront the occupation forces and its setters."

An Islamic Hamas movement spokesman said on Saturday the attack in east Jerusalem is a clear message to Israel.

Husam Badran, Hamas spokesman, said in an emailed press statement that the attack in east Jerusalem "is blessed and it is a clear message to Israel that our people will never accept the Israeli measures against Al-Aqsa Mosque."

"Our Palestinian people are ready to die, to sacrifice and to get detained for defending Al-Aqsa Mosque and deter the occupier who tries to single out our people using the current regional changes," said Badran.

According to Israeli police, a Palestinian attacked four Israelis by a knife, killing two and wounded two others in the Old City of Jerusalem, adding that Israeli security forces shot and killed the attacker.

The four Israelis, all members of the same ultra-Orthodox family, were apparently on their way to the Western Wall when they were attacked, Israeli radio reported.

After the stabbing, the assailant shot at police officers who rushed to the scene using a gun he obtained from one of the wounded. He was then shot and killed by the officers, the police told the radio.

"This attack will be added to the flaring armed resistance in the West Bank against the escalated Israeli occupation measures against Al-Aqsa Mosque and against our people," said Badran.

He added that Hamas repeats blessing and supporting any resisting action that targets the occupation's soldiers and its settlers. Endit