© Reuters
A Palestinian motorist rammed his car into a crowded train platform in East Jerusalem on Wednesday, an attack swiftly claimed by Hamas and denounced by Israeli authorities as an act of terrorism.
The incident came just hours after clashes between masked Palestinians and Israeli security forces at the al-Aqsa Mosque, which has been the scene of angry protests in recent weeks. Wednesday morning's demonstrations coincided with a commemoration by Israelis to mark a week since a Palestinian shot and injured American-Israeli activist and rabbi Yehuda Glick.
Around a dozen people were injured and the motorist - who has been named as Ibrahim al-Akri - was then shot and killed by police after leaving his vehicle.
Micky Rosenfeld, Israeli police spokesperson, called the incident a "suspected terror attack."
Further violence was later
reported in the restive Shuafat neighborhood of East Jerusalem, of which al-Akri was a resident, and in Beitar Illit, an Israeli settlement south of the disputed city.
Reports in the Israeli press suggested al-Akri was known to authorities as a Hamas operative. The organization was quick to praise the attack, hailing al-Akri as a "martyr" following his "heroic operation."
According to a statement
translated by the Jerusalem Post, Hamas - which governs the Gaza Strip - called for further such actions by Palestinians in defense of the al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam's holiest sites which sits within the Temple Mount revered by Jews.
Comment: Back in February 2010 when the murder took place, Mike Adams of Natural News gave an interesting perspective into the case: