A Palestinian motorist launched a shooting spree near the Israeli police headquarters in Jerusalem Sunday, wounding eight people, two of them seriously, before being shot dead, Israeli police and emergency services said.

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the attacker sped toward a busy stop of the city's light rail and opened fire, seriously wounding a woman waiting there. He then continued driving and shot another woman who was seated in her car before speeding off toward an Arab neighborhood in east Jerusalem. Samri said police officers on motorcycles chased the assailant, who eventually stepped out of his vehicle and opened fire at them. A police officer was critically wounded in the shootout.

A separate police force ultimately shot and killed the attacker, Samri said.

Israel's Magen David Adom emergency medical service said it was treating eight wounded people, of which two were in a critical condition.

Police said they have closed down the area of the shooting. Part of the light rail service was also halted.

A spate of Palestinian assaults, mainly stabbings, has killed 34 Israelis and two visiting Americans since it began just over a year ago, around the Jewish high holidays.

About 218 Palestinians have been killed during that period. Israel says the vast majority of them were attackers.

Israel blames the violence on a Palestinian campaign of lies and incitement. The Palestinians say it derives from frustration over nearly 50 years of occupation. </s> JERUSALEM (JTA) — Two people were killed and at least six injured when a Palestinian terrorist opened fire on a light rail stop in Jerusalem.

The attack mid-Sunday morning occurred at the Ammunition Hill station in northern Jerusalem, which is located next to the Jerusalem Police headquarters.

The assailant, a 39-year-old resident of eastern Jerusalem’s Silwan neighborhood, was shot and killed by police during a brief chase during which he shot other victims. The attacker reportedly had an Israeli identification card.

The dead victims have been identified as a 60-year-old woman and a 30-year-old police officer. At least two people were shot at the rail station, the rest were shot as the assailant drove his car from the station to the eastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah.

The Hamas terrorist organization called the “operation” in Jerusalem “heroic,” and said the attack is a “natural response to the occupation’s crimes and violations at the expense of our people and holy sites.”

The attack comes a year after the start of several months of attacks, including car ramming, stabbings and shootings, and at the start of the Jewish High Holiday season, where attacks often rise. The light rail station at Ammunition Hill has been the site of several car ramming and stabbing attacks in the last year. </s> JERUSALEM — A Palestinian motorist launched a shooting spree near the Israeli police headquarters in Jerusalem Sunday, wounding eight people, two of them seriously, before being shot dead, Israeli police and emergency services said.

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the attacker sped toward a busy stop of the city's light rail and opened fire, seriously wounding a woman waiting there. He then continued driving and shot another woman who was seated in her car before speeding off toward an Arab in east Jerusalem. Samri said police officers on motorcycles chased the assailant, who eventually stepped out of his vehicle and opened fire at them. A police officer was critically wounded in the shootout.

A separate police force ultimately shot and killed the attacker, Samri said. She identified him as a 39-year-old man from the east Jerusalem of Silwan.

Israel's Magen David Adom emergency medical service said it was treating eight wounded people, of whom two were in a critical condition. Police said they have closed down the area of the shooting. Part of the light rail service was also halted.

The attack was an unusual one in the yearlong spate of Palestinian assaults since most have been stabbings rather than live fire. The attacks began around last year's Jewish high holidays and have killed 34 Israelis and two visiting Americans over the past year. About 219 Palestinians have been killed during that period, with Israel saying the vast majority of them are attackers.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the potential for violence could rise as the Jewish high holidays approach again and Israel has beefed up its security presence as a result. There has been a recent surge in Palestinian attacks that shattered weeks of relative calm and raised fears of a return to the near-daily attacks often seen throughout the wave.

Israel has blamed the violence on incitement by Palestinian political and religious leaders compounded on social media sites. The Palestinians say it is rooted in nearly 50 years of military occupation and dwindling hopes for independence. </s> Image copyright EPA Image caption Six other people were wounded in the attack

An Israeli civilian and a policeman have died after a Palestinian gunman opened fire from his car in an attack in East Jerusalem, Israeli police say.

Six other people were wounded in the attack that began at Ammunition Hill.

The gunman fired at a tram stop, then drove off. He stopped after a police pursuit and opened fire again, killing a policeman before being shot dead.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the "very fast, very determined action of the Israeli police".

The militant Islamist group Hamas praised the attack and said the gunman, Musbah Abu Sbaih, was one of its members.

Police said 39-year-old Abu Sbaih came from East Jerusalem.

The two people killed were identified as Levana Malihi, 60, and policeman Yosef Kirma.

Thirty-five Israelis been killed in a wave of knife, gun and car-ramming attacks by Palestinians or Israeli Arabs since October 2015.

More than 200 Palestinians - mostly attackers, Israel says - have also been killed in that period.

Israel says Palestinian incitement has fuelled the attacks. The Palestinian leadership has blamed frustration rooted in decades of Israeli occupation. </s> JERUSALEM — A Palestinian motorist launched a shooting spree near the Israeli police headquarters in Jerusalem Sunday, killing two people and wounding five others before being shot dead, Israeli police and emergency services said.

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the attacker sped toward a busy stop of the city's light rail and opened fire, seriously wounding a 60-year-old woman waiting there. He then continued driving and shot another woman who was seated in her car before speeding off toward an Arab neighborhood in east Jerusalem. Samri said police officers on motorcycles chased the assailant, who eventually stepped out of his vehicle and opened fire at them. A 30-year-old police officer was critically wounded in the shootout.

A separate police force ultimately shot and killed the attacker, Samri said. She identified him as a 39-year-old man from the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan. Israeli media reported the man had previously served multiple sentences for violent acts and was due to report to prison Sunday for another sentence over assaulting a police officer.

Israel's Magen David Adom emergency medical service said it treated seven people for various gunshot injuries, two of whom later died of their wounds. Police cordoned off the area of the shooting and briefly shut down traffic on the light rail.

The attack was an unusual one in the yearlong spate of Palestinian assaults since most have been stabbings. Sunday's was the deadliest attack on Israelis since June 8, when two Palestinians opened fire and killed four people at a popular Tel Aviv food market.

The Palestinian attacks began around last year's Jewish high holidays and have since killed 36 Israelis and two visiting Americans. About 219 Palestinians have been killed during that period, with Israel saying the vast majority of them were attackers.

Israel has warned that the potential for violence could rise as the Jewish high holidays approach once again and has beefed up its security presence. There has been a recent surge in Palestinian attacks that shattered weeks of relative calm and raised fears of a return to the near-daily attacks seen previously.

Israel has blamed the violence on incitement by Palestinian political and religious leaders, compounded on social media sites. The Palestinians say it is rooted in some 50 years of military occupation and dwindling hopes for independence.

Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesman for Gaza's Islamic Hamas leaders, welcomed the attack in a statement saying it was "a natural response." Hamas stopped short of taking responsibility for the attack but identified the assailant as one of its members.

Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan said there were no specific warnings of an attack ahead of time and the quick response of security forces on the scene prevented a deadlier result. He repeated his previous criticism of social media sites that allow militants to spread their messages of incitement.

"It has an impact. It pushes people out to the streets to commits acts of murder and terror," he said. </s> A PALESTINIAN motorist has launched a shooting spree near the Israeli police headquarters in Jerusalem, wounding eight people, two of them seriously, before being shot dead, officials said.

The attacker sped towards a busy stop of the city's light rail system and opened fire, seriously wounding a woman waiting there, according to police spokeswoman Luba Samri.

He then continued driving and shot another woman who was seated in her car before speeding off towards an Arab neighbourhood in east Jerusalem.

Samri said police officers on motorcycles chased the assailant, who eventually stepped out of his vehicle and opened fire at them. A police officer was critically wounded in the shoot-out.

A separate police force ultimately shot and killed the attacker, Samri said.

She identified him as a 39-year-old man from the east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan.
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Israel's Magen David Adom emergency medical service said it was treating eight wounded people, of whom two were in a critical condition.

Police said they have closed down the area of the shooting. Part of the light rail service was also halted.

The attack was an unusual one in the year-long spate of Palestinian assaults since most have been stabbings rather than shootings.

The attacks have killed 34 Israelis and two visiting Americans over the past year.

About 219 Palestinians have been killed during that period, with Israel saying the vast majority of them are attackers.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the potential for violence could rise as the Jewish high holidays approach again and Israel has beefed up its security presence as a result.

There has been a recent surge in Palestinian attacks that shattered weeks of relative calm and raised fears of a return to the near-daily attacks often seen throughout the wave.

Internal security minister Gilad Erdan said the quick response of security forces on the scene prevented a deadlier result.

Israel has blamed the violence on incitement by Palestinian political and religious leaders compounded on social media sites.

The Palestinians say it is rooted in nearly 50 years of military occupation and dwindling hopes for independence.

Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesman for Gaza's Islamic Hamas leaders, welcomed the attack in a statement saying it was "a natural response".
• Notorious gangland figure at the centre of Soccerworld gun alert </s> JERUSALEM: Israeli security forces shot dead three Palestinians who carried out shooting and stabbing attacks in which an Israeli border policewoman was killed in Jerusalem on Friday, police said.

The attacks occurred simultaneously in two areas near the Damascus gate of Jerusalem's walled old city.

At one scene, two Palestinians were shot dead after opening fire at and trying to stab a group of Israeli police officers, police said. At the other, a Palestinian fatally stabbed a border policewoman before being shot dead by police.

A second Israeli officer was also injured in the attacks.

A wave of Palestinian street attacks began in October 2015 but has since slowed. Israel blames the violence on incitement by the Palestinian leadership.

The Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, denies that and says assailants have acted out of frustration over Israeli occupation of land sought by Palestinians in peace talks that have been stalled since 2014. </s> Israeli authorities have arrested dozens of Palestinians after a shooting rampage in Jerusalem killed two people and wounded five others, police said Monday.

The arrests after Sunday’s attack included 31 Palestinians seeking to participate in celebrations in memory of the assailant as well as members of his family in east Jerusalem, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan told army radio.

Some 15 other Palestinians were arrested for throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at security forces in east Jerusalem, police spokeswoman Luba Samri said.

The arrests come after Sunday’s attack in which a 39-year-old Palestinian went on a shooting rampage in Jerusalem, opening fire from a car and again as police chased him.

Two Israelis were killed, including a police officer and a 60-year-old woman. The attacker, Misbah Abu Sbeih from the Silwan area of east Jerusalem, was killed by police.

Palestinian media said Abu Sbeih was due to begin a four-month prison term on Sunday for attacking an Israeli police officer in 2013.

Israeli media reported Monday that he used an M16 rifle issued by the Israeli military in the attack, though that had not been confirmed by authorities.

The shooting rampage comes at a time of increased Jewish visitors to the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound in east Jerusalem for the holidays of Rosh Hashanah, which was last week, and Yom Kippur, which begins Tuesday evening.

The same typically occurs for the Jewish Sukkot holiday that takes place next week.

Last year’s Jewish high holidays led to clashes and marked the start of an upsurge in Palestinian gun, knife and car-ramming attacks.

Violence since October 2015 has killed 232 Palestinians, 36 Israelis, two Americans, one Jordanian, an Eritrean and a Sudanese national, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out attacks, according to Israeli authorities.

Others were shot dead during protests and clashes, while some were killed in air strikes on the Gaza Strip. </s> JERUSALEM Israeli security forces shot dead three Palestinians who carried out shooting and stabbing attacks in which an Israeli border policewoman was killed in Jerusalem on Friday, police said.Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks, the group's Amaq news agency said.

The attacks occurred simultaneously in two areas near the Damascus gate of Jerusalem's walled old city.At one scene, two Palestinians were shot dead after opening fire at and trying to stab a group of Israeli police officers, police said. At the other, a Palestinian fatally stabbed a border policewoman before being shot dead by police.

A second Israeli officer was also injured in the attacks.

A wave of Palestinian street attacks began in October 2015 but has since slowed. Israel blames the violence on incitement by the Palestinian leadership.The Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, denies that and says assailants have acted out of frustration over Israeli occupation of land sought by Palestinians in peace talks that have been stalled since 2014. (Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Alison Williams and Giles Elgood)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
A shooting takes place in Jerusalem that kills two people, including a police officer, injuring six others. The attack was carried out by a Palestinian gunman who opened fire from a vehicle on people waiting at a train station and then the nearby police headquarters in Jerusalem. Israeli police kill the gunman.