This is a developing story.
Seven people were shot and injured in Jerusalem’s Old City early Sunday in what emergency workers believe was a suspected terror attack. Two victims were in serious condition.
Tensions were already high in the region. Just a week ago, Israeli and Palestinian militants reached a ceasefire ending three days of fighting in Gaza that left dozens dead, including children.
Sunday’s shooting in Jerusalem took place in an area where Israeli authorities were seen as giving more leeway to Jewish worshipers than to Muslims. They had recently allowed more Jews into the compound of the Aqsa Mosque, previously reserved mainly for Muslims. Clashes erupted several days at the site earlier this year.
The nearby Western Wall continues to be a site visited primarily by Jews, although it is also important to Muslims.
On Sunday, an ambulance service, the Magen David Adom, said it received a report of a shooting involving a bus at 1:24 a.m. local time. First responders found two men with gunshot wounds on a bus that had stopped in the middle of a street near the Western Wall. They also found four other men with gunshot wounds in a nearby parking lot. The seventh victim, a pregnant woman, was also treated for gunshot wounds.
All of the victims were conscious and were sent to hospitals for further treatment. Six of them, including the wife, were taken to Shaare Zedek Medical Center. Among the victims were four Americans, also according to local media.
It was not immediately clear how many attackers were involved in the shooting. The person or persons fled towards Silwan, a neighborhood in East Jerusalem, according to local media. Police were searching the area, local media reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid was briefed on the situation and issued a statement on Twitter.
“Jerusalem is our capital and a tourist center for all religions, the police forces and the Israeli army are working to restore peace and a sense of security in the city”, he saidreferring to the Israel Defense Forces.
The fighting in Gaza began on August 5, when Israel launched airstrikes to thwart what it said was an imminent attack from Gaza, and lasted for three days.
Tiffany Mai contributed report.