2 policemen slain at mosque shrine by Arab gunmen
JERUSALEM — In a bold attack outside a site sacred to Muslims and Jews, three Israeli Arabs armed with a pistol and homemade machine guns shot and killed two Israeli officers early Friday at the entrance to the Al Aqsa mosque compound.
The three assailants were then chased into the courtyard of the mosque complex, where they were shot and killed by Israeli security forces, authorities said.
Hours after the early morning shootout, Israeli forces still blocked access to the mosque area because of security concerns.
The rare closure marked the first time in years that Israeli authorities stopped Muslims of all ages from attending Friday prayers at the holy site.
Israel’s domestic security service, Shin Bet, said the three attackers were Israeli citizens from an Arab town in northern Israel called Umm al-Fahm and that they shared the same last name, suggesting they may be related.
The two dead Israeli Border Police officers were members of Israel’s small Druze community. Kamil Shnaan, 22, was the son of a former Israeli parliamentarian. Hael Sathawi, 30, left behind a wife and a 3-week-old son.
The Druze follow an offshoot of Shiite Islam, and are seen by some Sunni militant factions as apostates.
Police said the assault began just after 7 a.m. close to the Lion’s Gate into the Old City near one of the entrances to the complex that holds the Al Aqsa mosque and the golden Dome of the Rock, an ancient esplanade revered by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and by Jews as the Temple Mount.
Israeli officials identified the attackers as Muhammad Ahmed Jabarin, 29; Muhammad Hamid Jabarin, 19; and Muhammad Ahmed Mufdal Jabarin, 19. Arabs comprise 20 percent of the Israeli population.
After the attack, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas placed a telephone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to Wafa, the official Palestinian News Agency, “Abbas expressed his strong rejection and condemnation of the fatal shootout that took place near Al Aqsa mosque, as well as his rejection of any violent incidents from any side, especially in places of worship.”