A Palestinian man shot dead an Israeli policeman and two security guards at the entrance to the West Bank settlement of Har Adar where he worked on Tuesday, in a terror attack. Another Israeli was seriously injured.
Border policeman Solomon Gavriyah, 20, civilian security guards Youssef Ottman, 25, from Abu Ghosh and Or Arish, 25, a resident of Har Adar, were laid to rest in separate funerals.
Middle East Minister, Rt. Hon. Alistair Burt MP condemned the attack: “Strongly condemn attack in Har Adar (NW of Jerusalem). Thoughts and prayers are with families of the victims. No justification for violence”.
Britain’s Ambassador to Israel, H.E. David Quarrey condemned the “horrific” attack and said there was “No possible excuse for terrorism anywhere”.
The terrorist, identified as Nimer Mahmoud Ahmad Jamal, a labourer from the nearby Bayt Surik village, was shot and killed by security forces at the scene, police said.
Israel’s internal intelligence service Shin Bet said Jamal, had a history of domestic violence and that his wife had recently left him, but that he had no criminal record or organisational allegiances.
The IDF imposed a closure of the West Bank village of Bayt Surik following the attack.
The Hamas terrorist group praised the attack, but did not claim responsibility.
After the attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel would demolish the terrorist’s home, and revoke the work permits of all members of the gunman’s extended family.
Around 100,000 Palestinians have permits to work in Israel and settlements in the West Bank; the majority of them are manual labourers.
Since September 2015, some 51 Israelis, two visiting Americans, an Eritrean national, a Palestinian man and a British student have been killed in stabbing, shooting and car-ramming attacks by Palestinian assailants. In that time, nearly 300 Palestinians and a Sudanese national were killed by Israeli fire, a majority of them attackers, according to authorities.
