The Times of Israel is liveblogging Saturday’s events as they unfold.
EU says it is ‘horrified’ by Jerusalem terror shootings
The European Union issues a statement on the deadly terror attack in Jerusalem last night and a second attack in the capital this morning.
“The European Union is horrified by yesterday’s appalling terror attack in a Jerusalem synagogue, that killed at least seven people and left many injured, as they attended Shabbat service, and by this morning’s attack in East Jerusalem, which left two victims injured, one seriously,” the statement says.
“The EU strongly condemns these acts of insane violence and hate.”
“These terrible events demonstrate once again how urgent it is to reverse this spiral of violence and engage in meaningful efforts to restart peace negotiations. We call on all parties not to react to provocations,” the EU adds.
Czech president expresses ‘deepest condolences’ over Jerusalem attack
The president of the Czech Republic, Miloš Zeman, expresses “deepest condolences” to Israel over the deadly Jerusalem terror attack.
“President of the Czech Republic Miloš Zeman in the context of [the] terrorist attack at the Jerusalem synagogue expressed deepest condolences to the President of the State of Israel and the families of the victims in these difficult moments,” the Czech embassy in Tel Aviv says on Twitter.
“He wishes all the injured a speedy recovery,” the statement adds.
Zelensky: ‘Terror must have no place in today’s world’; says one victim of Jerusalem attack is Ukrainian
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sends “sincere condolences” to the victims of the shooting attacks in Jerusalem, adding that one victim is a Ukrainian national.
“We share [Israel’s] pain after the terrorist attacks in Jerusalem. Among the victims is a [Ukrainian] woman,” he says on Twitter.
“Sincere condolences to the victims’ families. The crimes were cynically committed on the [International] Holocaust Remembrance Day.”
“Terror must have no place in today’s world. Neither in [Israel] nor in [Ukraine],” he adds.
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— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 28, 2023
Palestinian Authority says it holds Israel ‘fully responsible’ for escalation
The Palestinian Authority says it holds Israel “fully responsible for the dangerous escalation” in violence, after two terror shooting attacks in Jerusalem and a deadly Israeli military raid in the West Bank earlier this week
“The Palestinian leadership holds the Israeli occupation government fully responsible for the dangerous escalation that the situation has reached due to its crimes, which amounted to 31 martyrs during the current month,” the PA’s Security Council says in a statement carried by the official WAFA news agency.
Tensions have increased dramatically since Thursday morning, when an Israel Defense Forces raid in the West Bank city of Jenin against a terrorist cell left nine Palestinians dead — most of them gunmen and members of the cell, though at least one civilian was also killed.
The IDF says the majority of the Palestinians killed this month were carrying out attacks or were killed during clashes with security forces. Some were uninvolved civilians.
On Friday night, a Palestinian gunman from East Jerusalem killed seven and injured three more in the Neve Yaakov neighborhood. On Saturday morning, a 13-year-old Palestinian shot and wounded two Israeli men near the Old City.
PA President Mahmoud Abbas met with senior officials today to discuss the developments.
The PA says it warns Israel over the “continuation of its colonial settlement practices, land annexation, house demolitions, arrests, policies of ethnic cleansing and apartheid, and the desecration of Islamic, Christian holy sites, and storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque,” saying it will “lead to further deterioration, threatening security and stability in the entire region.”
“The Palestinian leadership salutes our Palestinian people in all places of their presence for their steadfastness, peaceful popular resistance, and their adherence to their legitimate national rights and to the Palestine Liberation Organization as the sole legitimate representative of our Palestinian people, the leader of our struggle for freedom and independence,” the statement adds.
After the deadly Jenin raid, the PA said it was cutting security ties with Israel.
