A car rammed into a crowd of passers-by in central Jerusalem, at least five people were injured, informed The Jerusalem Post.
The newspaper reports that among the victims – a 70-year-old man in serious condition, a 30-year-old woman in moderate condition, as well as a 50-year-old man and two 25-year-old men with minor injuries. A Hadassah University Medical Center spokesperson said one of the victims was hospitalized due to shock.
The car was driven by a Palestinian who was shot dead by one of the eyewitnesses, a civilian. The Palestinian driver killed was identified as Hatem Najma, 39, a father of five from the Beit Safafa neighborhood in East Jerusalem. He had no prior offences.
Spokesperson for the Israeli MDA ambulance service reported that the elderly victim has multiple injuries, that he is unconscious and that the woman has suffered broken limbs.
The attack was carried out near the large Mahane Yehuda market, which was particularly crowded on Monday due to holiday-related store closures. On April 24, Israel celebrates the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Terrorist Attacks and on Tuesday, April 25, the country celebrates Independence Day.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident a terror attack, although law enforcement officials said the driver’s motive was still under investigation.
On April 7, a similar attack on passers-by was carried out in Tel Aviv, on Koifman Street near Charles Clore Park on the waterfront. The attacker, who was driving a car, first opened fire on people, then tried to ram into a group of pedestrians. He was shot dead by a police officer who arrived at the scene.
The victim of the attack was a young man who was shot in the head by the attacker. Five people suffered various injuries in the crash. All were tourists from other countries. Local media reported that the attack was carried out by a 45-year-old resident of the town of Kfar Qasem, an Israeli Arab.
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