A Palestinian gunman opened fire outside a Jerusalem synagogue, killing five people in one of the deadliest attacks on Israelis in years. The killings took place a day after Israeli troops killed nine Palestinians in a raid in the West Bank.
JERUSALEM — A Palestinian gunman opened fire outside an east Jerusalem synagogue Friday night, killing six people and wounding four before police shot him, officials said. It was the deadliest attack on Israelis in years and raised the likelihood of further bloodshed.
Israel’s national rescue service, MADA, initially confirmed five deaths and five other people wounded, including a 70-year-old woman, a 60-year-old woman and a teenage boy. Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital later said one man in his 40s had died from his wounds. At several locations across the Gaza Strip, dozens of Palestinians gathered in spontaneous demonstrations to celebrate the Jerusalem attack, with some coming out of dessert shops with large trays of sweets to distribute. In downtown Gaza City, celebratory gunfire could be heard, as cars honked and calls of “God is great!” wafted from mosque loudspeakers. In the West Bank town of Jericho, Palestinians launched fireworks and honked horns in celebration.
Signs that the situation might be calming quickly dissolved with Friday night’s shooting. Israel’s opposition leader, former Prime Minister Yair Lapid, called it “horrific and heartbreaking.”Blinken’s trip is now likely to be focused heavily on lowering the tensions.
Both the Palestinian rockets and Israeli airstrikes seemed limited so as to prevent growing into a full-blown war. Israel and Hamas have fought four wars and several smaller skirmishes since the militant group seized power in Gaza from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.
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