Palestinian opens fire in Jerusalem’s Old City, killing 1

A Palestinian man opened fire in Jerusalem’s Old City on Sunday, killing one Israeli and wounding four others.

The attacker, identified as 42-year-old Fadi Abu Shkhaidem by Palestinian media, shot and killed 26-year-old Eliyahu Kay, who was an immigrant from South Africa, according to The Associated Press. One of the four other Israelis injured in the attack was in serious condition.

Police fatally shot Abu Shkhaidem within 32 seconds of the incident, The Washington Post reported, citing police.

Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, said Abu Shkhaidem was a member of its coalition, according to the AP. While Hamas did not claim responsibility for the incident, the group did say it was a “heroic operation.”

“Our people’s resistance will continue to be legitimate by all means and tools against the Zionist occupier until our desired goals are achieved and the occupation is expelled from our holy sites and all of our lands,” Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanou said, according to the AP.

The shooting occurred near an entrance to a location known as the Temple Mount to Jews and as the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims, which has become a contentious location in Jerusalem, the AP reported.

Kay previously worked at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, according to the AP, which is considered the holiest site where Jews can pray.

Israeli Minister of Public Safety Omer Bar-Lev said Abu Shkhaidem was an Islamic preacher and recognized member of the militant group’s political wing, the Post reported. He has reportedly traveled to the Old City on a daily basis to pray.

The shooting in Jerusalem was the second incident in the holy city in recent days. Two members of the Israeli border police were stabbed on Wednesday by a Palestinian teenager, who was fatally shot by police at the scene.

Shootings near the Old City in Jerusalem, however, are typically rare, the AP noted. Israeli forces have significant security protection in the area.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett directed security forces to increase their presence and be on high alert in the city “out of concern for copycat attacks,” the Post reported.

The incident comes six months after Israel and Hamas agreed to a cease-fire, which capped off 11 days of violence marked by missile strikes and rocket fire in the Gaza Strip and Israel.

Hamas has largely abided by the cease-fire since it was agreed to in May, the AP noted.