Terror in Jerusalem: Palestinian Rams Van Into Crowd

Jerusalem - A Palestinian man rammed his car into a crowded train platform in east Jerusalem on Wednesday November 5, 2014, and then attacked people with an iron bar, killing one person and injuring 13 in what authorities called a terror attack before he was shot dead by the police.

It was the second such attack in the past two weeks, and deepened already heightened tensions between Arabs and Jews in the city. Earlier Wednesday, Israeli police had dispersed dozens of masked Palestinians who threw rocks and firecrackers near a contested holy site in Jerusalem’s Old City.

Police said the motorist slammed his car into the train platform in east Jerusalem first, backed out and proceeded to drive away, hitting several cars along the way. He then got out of the car and attacked a group of civilians and police officers on the side of the road with a metal bar before he was shot and killed.

Police said the 38-year-old Palestinian identified as Ibrahim al-Akri had recently been released from prison after serving time for security offenses. There was no immediate claim of responsibility by any Palestinian organization but the Islamic militant group Hamas welcomed the attack.

Israel’s Minister of Public Security Yitzhak Ahronovich said civilians and police officers were among the wounded. He praised the police officer who neutralized the Palestinian attacker, saying that “a terrorist who attacks civilians deserves to be killed.”

East Jerusalem has experienced unrest since the summer, with Palestinian youths throwing stones and firebombs at motorists and clashing frequently with Israeli police. The violence gained steam last month, when a Palestinian motorist rammed his car into a crowded train station, killing a 3-month-old Israeli-American girl and a woman from Ecuador.




Surveillance video of the van ramming pedestrians at the rail station

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