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Vol. 13, Iss. 53
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Funerals Held for 4 IDF Soldiers Killed in J'slm Terror Attack; Police Clash with Arabs
Family and friends mourn at the funeral of 22-year-old Lt. Shir Hajaj, who was one of four young soldiers killed on Sunday afternoon in a terrorist attack in Jerusalem. (Photo: Flash90/Miriam Alster)
By: Andrew Friedman
T
he female soldier who was critically wounded in Sunday’s terror attack in Jerusalem has stabilized, but she is still being kept in a medically-induced coma doctors at Shaare Zedek Medical Center said Tuesday. In addition, four soldiers are still hospitalized at Hadassah University Hospital – Ein Karem, including three in moderate condition. Hospital official said that all four patients are fully conscious. In the aftermath of the attack, Israel Radio reported more clashes between residents of Jabel Mukaber and police overnight between Monday and Tuesday, and three teenagers were arrested. Also, four residents of the Moslem Quarter of the Old City were arrested for spraying graffiti in praise of the at-
tacker, Fadi al-Qunbar, 28, including a threat that the attack was “Just the beginning of the year 2017.” Police have also arrested nine other people, including five of Qunbar's family members. On Monday, Jerusalem police demolished a mourning tent adjacent to the home of the driver of a truck that murdered four IDF soldiers Sunday as the funerals for the four victims of yesterday’s terror attack began around the country. IDF soldiers Erez Orbach of Alon Shvut, Shir Hajaj of Ma’aleh Adumim, Shira Tzur of Haifa and Yael Yekutiel of Givatayim – were laid to rest on Monday at cemeteries in their home towns. Th ee families asked that media not attend. Th ee of the four killed were females. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said three of the slain were ca-
dets and one was an offic . All of the slain victims were in their 20s. The terrorist may have been an ISIS sympathizer, according to statements issued by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"We know there is a sequence of terror attacks and it's quite possible that there is a connection between them, from France, Berlin and now Jerusalem," Netanyahu said. Fox News reported that while speaking from the scene of the attack, on a promenade overlooking the walled Old City of Jerusalem, Netanyahu said authorities have identifie the terrorist and "all signs show he is a
supporter of the Islamic State." Earlier, Israel Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told CNN "there are no potential active ISIS cells here in Israel." "A group had gotten off the bus and were getting organized with their bags when the terrorist took the opportunity, ramming his truck into the group," Rosenfeld said. "Then he in fact reversed and tried to ram them again until shots were fi ed, and the terrorist was shot and killed at the scene." Fox News also reported that in a statement, the State Department condemned the "glorific tion of terrorism now or at any time" and said "there is absolutely no justification for these brutal and senseless attacks." Netanyahu said police had sealed off the killer's neighborhood -- a predom-
inately Arab neighborhood in East Jerusalem -- while they investigate. "We know there is a sequence of terror attacks and it's quite possible that there is a connection between them, from France, Berlin and now Jerusalem," Netanyahu said. In a statement, Jerusalem's mayor, Nir Barkat, said there was "no limit to the cruelty of the terrorists who use every means to murder Jews and damage the routine life in the capital of Israel." While no group has yet to claim responsibility for the attack, Hamas, the militant fundamentalist Islamic organization, praised the attacker on Twitter. "We bless the courageous and heroic truck operation in Jerusalem,"
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