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Western Wall: Several injured in Jerusalem shooting Palestinian gunman wounds eight in Jerusalem attack
(about 8 hours later)
An Israeli police office inspects the bus that was targeted by gunmen The bus driver said the gunman opened fire at the vehicle and people on the street
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. Eight people have been wounded after a Palestinian gunman opened fire at two locations in Jerusalem, officials say.
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. The assailant targeted a bus carrying Jewish worshippers who had just prayed at the Western Wall as well as people in a car park near the holy site.
The gunman fled but is now said to have turned himself in. Two of the wounded are in a serious condition, including a pregnant woman. US citizens were among the victims.
The Western Wall is one of the holiest sites in Judaism. Thousands travel to pray there every year. The gunman, identified as a resident of occupied East Jerusalem, fled the scene but later turned himself in.
Israeli emergency services said the gunman targeted a bus near King David's Tomb and a car park near the Western Wall. Israeli police said he had a criminal record but no known affiliations with Palestinian militant groups.
The driver, Daniel Kanievsky, told local media his bus was full at the time of the shooting. They believe that he acted alone, but they are concerned that he might inspire copycat attacks.
"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. The driver of the bus targeted by the gunman said it had been full of passengers coming from the Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews are allowed to pray, when it stopped at the Tomb of David station in the early hours of Sunday.
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. "We opened the ramp for someone on a wheelchair, and then the shooting started," Daniel Kanievsky told Israel's Kan radio.
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. "Everyone got down on the floor, screaming. I tried to escape, but the bus couldn't drive with the ramp open."
A man with gunshot wounds to the head and neck also remains critical. The pregnant woman was shot in the stomach and had to have an emergency Caesarean section at Jerusalem's Shaarei Tsedek Hospital. A hospital spokesman told AFP news agency that the woman was in a serious condition and that her baby was in a serious but stable condition.
Media reports say four of the injured were members of the same family visiting Israel from New York. Local media reported that the wounded also included four members of a family from New York who were waiting for a taxi at the bus stop. The father was said to have suffered wounds to the head and neck and was in a serious condition in hospital.
The gunman is said to be a Palestinian resident of East Jerusalem. US ambassador Tom Nides confirmed that US citizens were among the victims and said he strongly condemned the attack.
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". Israel's prime minister said security in Jerusalem was being reinforced to prevent copycat attacks
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. Israeli police said that after a manhunt that lasted several hours the suspected attacker turned himself in along with the pistol he apparently used.
The militant group says it lost 12 fighters. Gaza's health ministry said the others were civilians, including at least 17 children. Israeli media identified him as Amir Sidawi, a 26-year-old from East Jerusalem's Silwan district, and reported that he took a taxi to the Moriah police station, where he surrendered.
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. Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid told a cabinet meeting: "There is one conclusion from this incident, as from previous incidents: Whoever harms Israeli citizens has nowhere to hide. We will pursue them, find them wherever they are, and deal with them to the fullest extent of the law."
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. Mr Lapid said security in Jerusalem was being reinforced significantly in order to prevent copycat attacks.
Palestinian militant groups praised the shooting, which came a week after the latest violent escalation in the Gaza Strip.
At least 47 people were killed in Gaza over three days as Israeli forces targeted leaders of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and militants fired more than 1,000 rockets into Israel.
Gaza's health ministry said 35 civilians were killed, including 17 children, while PIJ said it lost 12 fighters.
Several Israelis sustained minor injuries as a result of PIJ rockets that landed inside Israel.