‘Four killed’ in Jerusalem attack

Jerusalem has been tense in recent months after a spate of attacks and protests (Pic: 14 Nov)

At least four Israelis have been killed and seven injured in what police say was a “terrorist attack” at a Jerusalem synagogue.

Two men armed with axes and knives carried out the attack in the Har Nof neighbourhood.

Police say they shot both the attackers dead inside the synagogue.

The city of Jerusalem has seen months of heightened tension and several attacks and kidnappings after a dispute over access to holy sites.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said those attacked at the synagogue had gathered there for worship.

The area has been sealed off and the injured are being treated in Jerusalem hospitals, he said.

Tensions in the city have risen in recent weeks, with two deadly attacks by Palestinian militants on pedestrians in the city and announcements by Israel of plans to build more settler homes in East Jerusalem.

A prominent rabbi and leading campaigner was shot and wounded last month by a Palestinian in Jerusalem at a key religious compound in the city.

The compound – known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif – is the holiest site in Judaism, while the al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam.

Orthodox Jewish campaigners in Israel are challenging the long-standing ban on Jews praying at the compound.

Palestinians want East Jerusalem, occupied by Israel since 1967, as the capital of a future state.

Israel and the Palestinian Authority have blamed each other for the recent unrest in the city.

BBC