Arab gunmen slay 2 Israeli policemen at Jerusalem shrine
Officials believe rare attack was well-planned
JERUSALEM — Arab assailants struck at ground zero of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Friday, opening fire from inside a major Jerusalem shrine and killing two Israeli policemen before being shot dead.
The rare attack from within the sacred site, revered by both Muslims and Jews, raised new concerns about an escalation of violence.
The three attackers were Arab citizens of Israel, also a rarity in a rash of Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers that erupted two years ago, in part over tensions at the holy site.
Jerusalem police commissioner Yoram Halevy said the attack was well planned.
The assailants had obtained automatic weapons and stayed at the holy compound the night before. He said they marked their targets in advance and after shooting them ran back inside the compound.
After the violence, Israel closed the site — known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount — to make sure there were no more weapons there.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it would reopen gradually after security evaluations Sunday.
Jordan, a custodian of the sacred compound, called for its immediate reopening to allow Muslims access.
Netanyahu acted quickly to allay Muslim fears, saying the status quo at the Muslim-administered site “will be preserved.”
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reached out to Netanyahu in a phone call, highlighting the concern about a possible escalation. The leaders have almost no direct contact.
Abbas condemned the attack and said he rejects “any violence from any party, particularly at holy sites,” said the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.