Haaretz:
The shooter, a Palestinian man from East Jerusalem who dressed in ultra-Orthodox attire, was shot dead by security forces ■ Jerusalem’s Old City closed off
Hamas have claimed credit for the attack that took place early on Sunday morning
One man was killed, and another four injured, after a Palestinian gunman opened fire by the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Sunday.
The assailant, 42-year-old Fadi Abu Shkhaidem from East Jerusalem, used an automatic weapon to shoot at civilians from short-range by the Chain Gate, before he was shot dead by security forces. Afterwards, the police shut down the Old City, fearing a copycat attack.
25-year-old Eliyahu Kay, who recently immigrated from South Africa, was evacuated to hospital with a head injury and later succumbed to his wounds. Kay, who lived in Modi’in, worked as a guide for the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.
A Hamas spokesperson said Abu Shehadam was one of the group’s leaders in the Shuafat refugee camp. After the incident, Israeli police forces entered the refugee camp and visited the gunman’s home.
Before carrying out the attack, Abu Shehadam, who was a preacher and taught Islam in a school in Shuafat, wrote in a Facebook post in Arabic: “God determines our destiny, but most people do not know. The question of our destiny is a question that God determines, God in His wisdom and greatness, He chooses whoever He wants and presents them to their destiny.”
