Four Israelis – Rabbis who were praying – were brutally murdered and eight wounded Tuesday morning in Jerusalem in the worst terror attack Israel has experienced in recent years.

Israeli security forces arrive on the scene of the attack. (Photo: Yonatan Sindel/FLASH90)

The wave of Arab terror against Israel’s citizens continued Wednesday morning as terrorists murdered four Rabbis praying in Jerusalem synagogue. Hamas praised the attack.

Two Muslim terrorists entered the synagogue in the Har Nof neighborhood in western Jerusalem and assaulted the worshipers with knifes and axes while shooting at them. Four died in the attack.

Both terrorists were killed at the scene by Israeli policemen. An Israeli officer was critically injured in a gun fight; another was moderately wounded.

Security forces are reportedly searching for a third terrorist.

The terrorists also fired at the first  EMTs and paramedics to arrive at the scene.

Both terrorists are residents of east Jerusalem. IDF Radio reports that they are Israeli citizens with Israeli ID cards.

Combined Knife and Handgun Attack

Aryeh Shavit, one of the first emergency medical responders to arrive at the scene, said that “two terrorists entered a synagogue and slaughtered the worshipers as they were praying, donning their prayer shawls and phylacteries. We provide initial medical treatment to the wounded with various digress of injuries; unfortunately, several of them were severely wounded. A quick response by Israel’s police neutralized the terrorists. It was a combined knife and handgun attack.”

One of the worshipers present during the attack described how two terrorists entered the synagogue while shooting and shouting Allah Akbar. “They continued to try and harm anyone who was in their way or who tried to escape.”

Another eyewitness commented that the scene of the terror attack with bloodied bodies of Jews wearing tallitot and tefillin (prayer shawls and phylacteries) was reminiscent of scenes from the Holocaust.

Hamas Lauds Attack

Hamas embraced the attack, claiming it was in response to the alleged “murder” by Israelis of Hasan Ramouni, an Arab bus driver who committed suicide this week. It was also in retaliation for “Israel’s continued crimes on the Temple Mount,” Hamas added, calling for the continuation of terror attack against Israeli citizens.

There are reports of Palestinian celebrations in Gaza after the attack.

Author: Aryeh Savir
Staff Writer, United with Israel