An unidentified gunman fired on passers-by near Jaffa Gate on Monday, killing one Arab and wounding two others.
The attack came just three days after violent demonstrations on the Temple Mount and as security forces announced a ban on non-Jerusalem residents who wish to worship at Temple Mount mosques on Fridays, the Moslem Sabbath.
The dead man was identified as Mohammed Shawish, a resident of the Old City in Jerusalem. The other two victims were a 19-year-old Arab, who reportedly suffered serious head wounds, and another Arab man, who was hit in the stomach. They were admitted to Jerusalem hospitals.
The attack took place shortly after 7 p.m. The gunman reportedly fired an Uzi submachine gun randomly, then fled to the nearby Mamilla area in the former no-man’s land between East and West Jerusalem.
Police sealed off the area and began a wide search for the attacker. According to one eyewitness, the attacker was wearing an Israel Defense Force uniform, but his identity remains unclear. Uzis are issued to IDF reserve soldiers.
Police immediately increased their forces in the Old City, for fear the attack might be a cause for renewed violence.
BAN ON WORSHIPERS FROM TERRITORIES
Tension in the capital has been high since last Friday, when Moslems ended their noon prayers with a violent demonstration that included throwing stones at Jewish worshipers at the Western Wall. Thirty-seven of the protesters, some of them from Gaza, were arrested by police.
The growing tension in Jerusalem has led security forces to decide that starting next Friday, residents of the territories will not be allowed to enter the Temple Mount for their Sabbath prayers.
“The police will not allow young men into Jerusalem from Judea, Samaria and Gaza,” spokesman Rafi Levy said, after Police Minister Haim Bar-Lev reviewed security measures with senior ministry officials.
Prayers will be limited to Jerusalem residents only. Roadblocks will be placed on the roads leading from the territories to Jerusalem.
The Islamic Wakf trust, which has custody over the area, said on Monday it regretted the violence. “Nobody is happy about it because this is a holy place, not a place for violence,” said Adnan al-Husseini, general director of the trust.
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