Seven people have been shot dead at a synagogue in East Jerusalem, the deadliest such attack in years. At least three more people were injured.
The incident took place in the city’s New Yaakov neighborhood at around 20:15 local time (18:15 GMT).
Police described the attacker as a “terrorist” and said he had been “neutralized”.
Local media identified him as a Palestinian from East Jerusalem.
Speaking at the scene, Israeli Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai described it as “one of the worst attacks we have faced in recent years”.
Israeli worshipers had gathered for prayers at the start of the Jewish Sabbath at a synagogue in the ghetto when the gunman opened fire. Officers then shot him, police said.
Forensic teams are investigating a white car apparently driven by the gunman.
Palestinian militant groups praised the attack but did not say one of their members was responsible.
Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip celebrated the attack with rallies and distribution of sweets.
We are near the synagogue where the police have cordoned off a large area – armed security forces are everywhere and ambulances are still passing by. A helicopter is circling overhead.
A broken down car is lying in the middle of the road. The driver’s side windscreen is punctured by bullet holes. A police forensic officer examines the back of a car with a head torch. They ask us to go back.
An eyewitness told me he saw the gunman in the street here, possibly after he was shot by the police, with security forces running after him and firing into the air. This junction is some distance from the synagogue, so it seems that this is where he tried to escape.
We heard a few loud explosions, possibly coming from a nearby Palestinian neighborhood, suggesting clashes between residents and Israeli forces.
