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Four Israeli Soldiers Killed as Palestinian Rams Truck into Pedestrians | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Israeli soldiers inspect the scene where a Palestinian rammed his truck into a group of Israeli soldiers on a popular promenade (Reuters)


Tel Aviv – Israel’s Security Cabinet approved late Sunday a series of measures in retaliation of the truck ramming attack in a Jerusalem neighborhood, which left four soldiers dead and 17 soldiers and civilians injured.

The Israeli police have placed the city of Jerusalem on heightened security alert in response to the attack.

Israel Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh told reporters that there had been no intelligence alert and no prior security warning of the attack. He added that 300 additional troops were deployed in Eastern Jerusalem following the attack.

Police identified the truck driver as a Palestinian from Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem and said he was shot dead. His uncle, Abu Ali, named him as Fadi Ahmad Hamdan Qunbor, 28, a father of four from the Jabel Mukabar neighborhood.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the scene and convened his security Cabinet to discuss Israel’s response.

He said that security forces were controlling access in and out of the neighborhood.

“We know the identity of the attacker. According to all the signs he is a supporter of ISIS,” the prime minister said.

He said the attacker likely was inspired by recent truck attacks in Europe.

The Palestinian Hamas movement praised the attack, but did not take responsibility.

Hamas Spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum said: “Hamas blesses the heroic and courageous Jerusalem operation, which is a natural response to the crimes of the Israeli occupation and its violations at the expense of our people, land and holy sites.”

“This operation is an affirmation that the resistance and the Jerusalem intifada are ongoing and that all attempts to kill, criminalize and terrorize at the expense of our people and resistance in Jerusalem will not break the will of the resistance”, he added in a press statement.