This is an evolving story.
Seven people were injured in shootings in Jerusalem’s Old City early Sunday morning, where emergency services are looking into a suspected terrorist attack. Two victims are in critical condition.
Tensions have been high in the region. Just a week ago, Israel and Palestinian militants reached a ceasefire to end three days of fighting in Gaza that left dozens dead, including children.
Sunday’s shooting in Jerusalem was carried out in an area that Israeli authorities see as favoring Jewish worshipers rather than Muslims. They have recently allowed more Jews into the Aqsa Mosque complex, which was previously mostly restricted to Muslims. Clash broke out on several days at the site earlier this year.
The nearby Western Wall continues to be a site mostly visited by Jews, although it is also important to Muslims.
On Sunday, an ambulance service, Magen David Adom, said it was received a report about a shooting involving a bus at 1:24 a.m. local time. First responders found two men with gunshot wounds on a bus stopped in the middle of a street near the Western Wall. They also found four more men with gunshot wounds in a nearby parking area. The seventh victim, a pregnant woman, was also treated for a gunshot wound.
All the victims were conscious and taken to the hospital for further treatment. Six of them, including the woman, were brought in Shaare Zedek Medical Center. Among the victims were four Americans, also according to local news media.
It was not immediately clear how many attackers were involved in the shooting. According to local media, this person or others fled towards Silwan, a neighborhood in East Jerusalem. Local media reported that police were searching the area.
Prime Minister Yair Lapid of Israel was briefed on the situation and issued a statement on Twitter.
“Jerusalem is our capital city and a tourist hub for all religions, the police force and the IDF are working to restore peace and a sense of security in the city,” he sayrefers to the Israel Defense Forces.
Fighting in Gaza began on August 5, when Israel launched air strikes to thwart what it saw as an impending attack from Gaza, and lasted for three days.
Tiffany May contribution report.
