- Title: JERUSALEM/GAZA: Bulldozer driver shot dead after Jerusalem rampage
- Date: 22nd July 2008
- Summary: WOMAN HOLDING BABY BEING TREATED IN AMBULANCE
- Embargoed: 6th August 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
- Reuters ID: LVABA9TZOJP06VS3YY6MZMKPTH87
- Story Text: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli President Shimon Peres condemn Jerusalem attack. Hamas says "natural reaction to occupation crime".
A bulldozer went on a rampage in Jerusalem on Tuesday (July 22), hitting vehicles near a hotel where U.S. Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is due to stay later in the day, before its driver was shot dead.
Police described the incident -- which took place while Israeli President Shimon Peres hosted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at Peres's official residence less than a kilometre (half-mile) away -- as a "terrorist" attack.
Israeli Police Spokesman Miki Rosenfeld told Reuters that "This was a terrorist attack that took place approximately three hours ago in the middle of Jerusalem One terrorist that drove a tractor struck five vehicles, including a bus. Sixteen Israelis were injured lightly, one person was unfortunately injured seriously. The terrorist was shot and killed by a civilian as well as a border policeman that arrived at the scene and we've heightened security here in Jerusalem in order to prevent any further attacks from taking place."
U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Obama was scheduled to arrive in Israel later on Tuesday and stay at Jerusalem's King David Hotel, a couple of blocks from the scene of the latest attack.
Security in the area was already tight ahead of Obama's visit.
Yisrael, an eyewitness at the attack, said "This story begun by the house of the president Peres when Peres met today the biggest terrorist Abu-Mazen (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) who killed our people."
In Gaza, Hamas spokes person Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that "The tractor attack in the city of Jerusalem is a natural result to the occupation crimes and the insistence of this occupation to continue their crimes , against the our Palestinian people, specially in the West Bank and Jerusalem and their refusal to halt their attacks in those areas."
Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas both condemned the attack.
"We, always and forever condemn any terrorist attack and condemn any attack on civilians no matter what their description is. I have understood that today there was a deliberate attack, we of course condemn this and reject it, because this hurts our reputation and hurts peace in general," Abbas said at the end of his meeting with President Peres.
"Needless to say, that the two of us condemn any sort of terror and we can not accept it as part of our life, I think the Israeli forces will do whatever they can to prevent it in the future and get all partners if there are partners to it (the attack)," Peres said.
It was the second bulldozer attack in Jewish west Jerusalem in less than a month. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
A similar attack in Jerusalem killed three Israelis on July 2. The Palestinian driver of that bulldozer was shot dead by an off-duty soldier and police. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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