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Five Americans and three others were injured in Jerusalem when a gunman opened fire on a bus early Sunday morning.
The attack
occurred at 1:30 a.m. local time, when "terrorist armed with weapons shot
at a bus and vehicles in a parking lot near the Old City of Jerusalem," CNN
quoted police as saying.
Three victims
are in serious condition which includes a pregnant woman and her baby which had
to be delivered via emergency cesarean section, officials said.
"Last
night, a terrorist shot at a bus in Jerusalem wounding 8 people, including a
pregnant 30 year old woman and a 60 year old man who are in critical
care," the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Twitter. "We pray for
their full recovery. This attack on Israel's capital, a city sacred to all
three religions, must be condemned."
U.S. condemns Jerusalem shooting that killed Americans
In a statement
U.S. State Department said at least five U.S. citizens were injured in the
attack.
"The
United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack outside the Old City of
Jerusalem that wounded at least eight victims, including at least five U.S.
citizens. We wish all the victims a speedy recovery. We remain in close contact
with our Israeli partners and stand firmly with them in the face of this
attack," said State Department spokesman Ned Price, Washington Examiner
reports.
"Our
Ambassador to Israel and U.S. officials in Jerusalem are in touch with the
families of the U.S. citizen victims, to whom we have offered our sympathies
and support," Price added, according to Washington Examiner. "The
U.S. Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security of
U.S. citizens overseas. Our team in Jerusalem has been working around the clock
to support the victims and their families, and will continue to monitor the
situation closely."
The BBC
reported that the bus driver, Daniel Kanievsky, told Israel’s Kan radio how the
shooting started saying, "we opened the ramp for someone on a wheelchair,
and then the shooting started," he said. "Everyone got down on the
floor, screaming. I tried to escape, but the bus couldn't drive with the ramp
open."
The Guardian
reported that the suspect identified by Israeli media as 26-year-old Amir
Sidawi of East Jerusalem fled the scene but later surrendered to the police.
His mother and two other family members were earlier arrested after the attack.
Hamas praises Jerusalem shooting that killed U.S. citizens as "heroic operation"
Hamas
described the shooting as a “heroic operation,” the Guardian reported.
The suspect’s
motives are not clear but Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid told his Cabinet
they believe he acted alone.
East
Jerusalem has seen escalation in tension and violence often between
Palestinians and Jews at religious sites. The city hosts religious sites sacred
to both Jews, Christians and Muslims.