This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-62537665

The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Western Wall: Several injured in Jerusalem shooting Western Wall: Several injured in Jerusalem shooting
(about 2 hours later)
An Israeli police office inspects the bus that was targeted by gunmenAn Israeli police office inspects the bus that was targeted by gunmen
At least seven people have been injured after gunmen opened fire at separate locations in the city of Jerusalem, Israeli officials have said. At least eight people have been injured after a gunman opened fire on a bus near the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, Israeli officials say.
The attackers shot at a bus and opened fire in a car park near the historic Western Wall at 01:24 local time (22:24 GMT), emergency officials said. The suspect opened fire as the pilgrims were returning from prayers at the holy site. Two people, including a pregnant woman, are in a critical condition.
Police have launched a search for the gunmen, who fled after the attacks. The gunman fled but is now said to have turned himself in.
A police spokesperson told local media that the incident is being treated as a suspected terror attack. The Western Wall is one of the holiest sites in Judaism. Thousands travel to pray there every year.
The ambulance service, Magen David Adom (MDA), said it was treating several people, including two who were in a critical condition. Israeli emergency services said the gunman targeted a bus near King David's Tomb and a car park near the Western Wall.
The victims - six men and one woman - have been taken to hospitals in Jerusalem, MDA added. The driver, Daniel Kanievsky, told local media his bus was full at the time of the shooting.
It remains unclear as to how many shooters were involved, however Hebrew media has reported that police are searching for at least two suspects. "We opened the ramp for someone on a wheelchair, and then the shooting started. Everyone got down on the floor, screaming. I tried to escape, but the bus couldn't drive with the ramp open," he said.
Video on social media showed heavily armed police at the scene and local media reported that worshippers had been briefly prevented from leaving the Western Wall compound.Video on social media showed heavily armed police at the scene and local media reported that worshippers had been briefly prevented from leaving the Western Wall compound.
A police spokesperson said officers have "begun securing the area, investigating the case and searching for the suspects, who fled". The pregnant woman was shot in the stomach. She had an emergency Caesarean operation, with the baby reported to be in a serious, but stable, condition.
The Times of Israel reported that at least one attacker had waited for the bus to arrive at a stop, before opening fire as passengers boarded. A man with gunshot wounds to the head and neck also remains critical.
"The bus was full, jam-packed," driver Daniel Kanievsky told local media. "I stopped at a bus stop at King David's Tomb and then I heard gunfire, people started yelling, people were hurt inside the bus." Media reports say four of the injured were members of the same family visiting Israel from New York.
In a statement to the BBC, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said security forces were "working to apprehend the terrorist" and pledged that anyone involved in the attack would "pay a price for any harm to our civilians". The gunman is said to be a Palestinian resident of East Jerusalem.
The Western Wall is one of the holiest sites in Judaism and thousands of worshippers go on a pilgrimage there every year to pray. In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid pledged that anyone involved in the attack would "pay a price for any harm to our civilians".
The attack comes a week after 44 people were killed in the Gaza strip during the most serious flare-up since an 11-day conflict in May 2021. The attack comes a week after 47 people were killed in the Gaza Strip over three days as Israeli forces targeted leaders of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and militants fired more than 1,000 rockets into Israel.
Three days of violence saw Israeli forces targeting the leaders of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and militants firing rockets into Israel. The militant group says it lost 12 fighters. Gaza's health ministry said the others were civilians, including at least 17 children.
Israeli officials have said many civilians were killed by PIJ rockets that failed to clear Gaza. They have promised to investigate civilian deaths caused by Israeli fire.
Several Israelis sustained minor injuries as a result of PIJ rockets, most of which were intercepted by the country's Iron Dome missile defence system.