Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Palestinian opens fire in West Bank settlement, wounding 6 people before being killed

Share
MAALE ADUMIM, West Bank -

A Palestinian gunman opened fire in an Israeli settlement east of Jerusalem on Tuesday, wounding six people before being shot and killed, Israeli police said.

The shooting at a mall in the sprawling Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim, in the occupied West Bank, was the latest in the most violent stretch of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the territory in nearly two decades.

Later on Tuesday, the Israeli military said a soldier shot a Palestinian who allegedly tried to carry out a stabbing attack in the southern West Bank, near the city of Hebron. His condition was unclear.

In the hilly settlement of Maale Adumim on the eastern outskirts of Jerusalem, an off-duty police officer heard gunshots and rushed over to where an assailant had shot Israelis on the street near a shopping mall after shooting and wounding diners outside a burger joint. When confronted, the assailant turned his gun on the officer and started to shoot, police said. The officer opened fire, killing the Palestinian, who was dressed as a security guard in a neon vest.

The Islamic militant groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad praised the attack as "heroic" but stopped short of claiming responsibility.

In an audio clip purportedly recorded by the assailant and shared on social media, he vows to "die for the sake of Allah" and asks that his attack "not be claimed by any political faction."

"This operation is a natural response to the storming of the sacred Al-Aqsa Mosque," Islamic Jihad spokesman Tariq Salami said, referring to a visit to the sensitive Jerusalem holy site by hard-line Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and thousands of other religious Jews last week. The contested compound has long been a flashpoint for violence between Israelis and Palestinians.

The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the assailant as 20-year-old Muhannad al-Mazraa from Azariya, a West Bank town just east of Jerusalem.

The attacker wounded at least six people, Israel's rescue service said, including a 41-year-old man who was seriously hurt. The rest of the men, ranging in age from 14 to 37years old, were fully conscious and in moderate condition, it added.

"Some of the victims escaped and hid in shops in the mall," said Israeli medic Miryam Sharvit. "A victim was in a restaurant with his wife and 5-year-old daughter when they suddenly heard gunfire."

Fighting between Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank intensified early last year when Israel launched near-nightly raids into Palestinian areas in the West Bank in response to a spate of Palestinian attacks against Israelis.

The violence has spiked this year, with more than 150 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire since the start of 2023 in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, according to a tally by The Associated Press.

Israel says most of those killed have been militants, but stone-throwing youths protesting the raids and others not involved in the confrontations have also been killed.

At least 26 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks against Israelis during that time.

Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war, along with the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. Palestinians seek those territories for their hoped-for independent state.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Montreal police say a business in the city's Pointe-Saint-Charles neighbourhood was hit with Molotov cocktails two nights in a row.

Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman in northeastern Ontario eight years ago. The former Hedley frontman had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.

Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'

Ontario Provincial Police have laid stunt charges against a driver caught speeding 75 km/h over the speed limit on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end.

Local Spotlight

Chantal Kreviazuk is set to return to Winnipeg to mark a major milestone in her illustrious musical career.

From the beaches of Cannes to the bustling streets of New York City, a new film by a trio of Manitoba directors has toured the international film festival circuit to much pomp and circumstance.

A husband and wife have been on the road trip of a lifetime and have decided to stop in Saskatchewan for the winter.

The grave of a previously unknown Canadian soldier has been identified as a man from Hayfield, Man. who fought in the First World War.

A group of classic car enthusiasts donated hundreds of blankets to nursing homes in Nova Scotia.

Moving into the second week of October, the eastern half of Canada can expect some brisker fall air to break down from the north

What does New Westminster's təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.

The last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team, Kaye Kaminishi, died on Saturday, Sept. 28, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old.

New data from Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley shows a surge in supply and drop in demand in the region's historically hot real estate market.