scene in the synagogue
Friday’s attack outside the synagogue was the deadliest in the Jerusalem area since 2008. It took place in the neighborhood on land that Israel occupied after capturing Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war, in a move that was not recognized internationally.
The gunman, Khairy Alkam, was a 21-year-old Palestinian from East Jerusalem. Police said that a 14-year-old boy was also among the dead. No group claimed responsibility for the shooting, and Alkam’s father told Reuters his son had no links to terrorists.
Police said 42 suspects, including members of his family, have been arrested. Netanyahu said the cabinet had decided to pursue sanctions against the families of the attackers.
Police said Alkam arrived at 8:15 pm and opened fire with a handgun, hitting several people before being killed by police.
The gunman was a relative of a 17-year-old Palestinian who was shot Wednesday in clashes with Israeli forces in a Jerusalem refugee camp, his family said.
His father Moussa Alkam said he did not know whether his son wanted revenge. Alkam said, “He is neither the first nor the last youth to be martyred and what he did is a matter of pride.”
Shimon Israel, 56, who lives near the site of the attack, said his family was starting their Sabbath meal on Saturday when they heard gunshots and screams. He opened the window and saw his neighbor running across the street to call the police.
“I told him ‘Allie, don’t go there. Allie don’t go.’ He was married only a year ago. A good neighbor, like a brother. He ran. I saw him fall right there,” Israel told Reuters.
“Natalie, his wife, ran after him. She saw someone here and was trying to revive him. The terrorist came and shot him in the back and caught him too,” he said.
In Tel Aviv, thousands of Israelis protesting against Netanyahu’s plan to reform Israel’s judiciary began Saturday by observing a minute’s silence for the dead.