Hamas Terrorist Opens Fire In Jerusalem Killing 8 People, Gaza Celebrates

March 6, 2008 · Filed Under Hamas, Israel, Terrorist Attack, Terrorists, World News

Eight people were confirmed dead in a terror attack at Merkaz Harav Yeshiva, near the entrance to Jerusalem on Thursday evening. The attack was reportedly perpetrated by a resident of Jabel Mukaber in east Jerusalem.

Magen David Adom have confirmed 10 wounded civilians, including three seriously. One terrorist was said to have been killed by a student.

Witnesses said that only one terrorist had entered the building and that he managed to fire 500-600 bullets over the course of 4-10 minutes before he was killed.

Although witnesses said only a single terrorist carried out the attack, police were searching the building for an additional terrorist, preventing the entrance of rescue workers. Later Police Chief David Cohen confirmed that there were no additional attackers.

The terrorist entered the Merkaz Harav Yeshiva in the neighborhood of Kiryat Moshe carrying weapons. He was not wearing a suicide-bomb belt as earlier reported.

The gunman entered the library where about 80 people were gathered, witnesses said, and opened fire.

Yitzhak Dadon, a student, said he was armed with a rifle and waited on the roof of a nearby building. “He came out of the library spraying automatic fire … the terrorist came to the entrance and I shot him twice in the head,” he said.

Approximately 50 ambulances were sent to the scene and a 16-year-old boy in serious condition and suffering from chest wounds was seen being evacuated from the scene.

“It’s very sad tonight in Jerusalem - many people were killed in the heart of Jerusalem,” Mayor Uri Lupolianski told Channel 2,

“We bless the (Jerusalem) operation. It will not be the last,” Hamas said in a statement.

In Jebaliya, about 7,000 Gazans of different factions marched in the streets, firing in the air in celebration, and visited homes of those killed and wounded in Israel’s ground operation this week.

In Rafah on the Egyptian border, residents distributed sweets to moving cars, and militants fired mortars in celebration.

The student who took decisive action and killed that terrorist is a true hero. That’s a good example of how one student can stop a massacre if he has the ability to protect himself. Eight people were indeed killed, but had that student not acted you can be sure the death toll would have been even greater.

-Chris Jones