Young brothers and 20-year-old man killed in Jerusalem terror attack

A terror attack in Jerusalem has claimed the lives of six-year-old Yaakov Yisrael Paley, his eight-year old brother Asher Menahem Paley and 20-year old Alter Shlomo Lederman, a recently married yeshiva student.

Yaakov was buried Friday afternoon before the start of Shabbat; another brother, 10-year old Moishe, was lightly hurt and has been released from Hadassah Medical Centre. The boys’ father is said to be moderately wounded.

Funerals were held for Asher and Lederman on Saturday night in Jerusalem, and they were both buried at the capital’s Har HaMenuchot cemetery.

Initial reports say a blue Mazda vehicle hit several pedestrians at a bus stop on the corner of Golda Meir Avenue and Binyamin Mintz in east Jerusalem’s Ramot neighbourhood.

Authorities have identified the assailant, shot dead at the scene by a police officer, as Hussein Qaraqa, 30, an Israeli citizen and resident of the Palestinian neighborhood of Issawiya in east Jerusalem. Officials say he appears to have been mentally ill, and was released from a psychiatric hospital in northern Israel only days ago.

At least four further casualties, believed to include children, were treated by paramedics before being transported to Shaare Zedek and Hadassah Hospitals.

MDA Spokesperson Zaki Heller said: “MDA EMTs and paramedics pronounced a 6 year old dead at the scene, and are conveying 6 victims to Jerusalem hospitals – 2 in critical condition, an 8 year old child and 20 year old male while undergoing CPR, 2 in serious condition – 25 year old males with head injuries, 1 in moderate condition – a 40 year old male with limb injuries, and a 10 year old child in mild condition.”

Israel’s government press office says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed that “police units in the area be reinforced and investigations and arrests be carried out immediately in the terrorist’s circle.

Netanyahu has ordered Karake’s house be sealed and demolished.

Israel’s police commissioner Kobi Shabtai and national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir are now at the scene. Ben-Gvir said: “I instructed the police to place roadblocks at the entrance to Issawiya and to check every vehicle and person that leaves and enters the neighborhood. This is of course not enough, and I intend to speed up the enactment of a death penalty law for terrorists, and a series of other measures that will help us restore deterrence.”

A police spokesperson issued the following statement:

“Around 13:27, a car driver speeding towards the Golda Meir-Mintz intersection at the exit from the Ramot neighborhood in Jerusalem in the direction of Givat Ze’ev and rammed innocent people who were waiting at the bus station .

As a result, 2 people were murdered and another 5 injured in different degrees of injury (according to medical officials), among them critically injured.

Police forces of the Jerusalem District, including a detective who was off duty , arrived quickly at the scene , and fired at the terrorist who was neutralized on the spot. Large police forces of the Jerusalem district were called to the scene and are taking actions to evacuate the victims and treat the scene. The Commissioner of Police, Yaacov Shabtai, and the commander of the Jerusalem District, Superintendent Doron Turgeman, are at the scene of the terror attack and at this time they are assessing the situation at the scene of the attack.”

Hamas and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, the militant wing of Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah faction, whilst not claiming responsibility, have welcomed the Jerusalem terror attack, calling it “heroic.”

President of Israel, Isaac Herzog said: “Just before Shabbat, our hearts are pained by the terrible news of a despicable terrorist who took the lives of a little boy and a young man in a car-ramming attack in Jerusalem. Together with the people of Israel I grieve with the families & pray for the recovery of the injured.”

Tzipi Hotovely, Israeli ambassador to the UK has tweeted: “I am devastated by the news coming from #Jerusalem of the Palestinian terror attack that took place earlier today, which killed a 6-year-old boy & a 20-year-old man, as well as critically injuring 5 more innocent people. My deepest prayers are with their families.”

More to follow.