Eight Israelis killed in terrorist shooting

My thoughts and prayers go out to those Israelis and their families.

Y Net News:

One terrorist infiltrated a rabbinical seminary at the entrance of Jerusalem and opened fire after nightfall Thursday, police said. The ZAKA emergency response service has confirmed at least eight people have been killed in addition to the terrorist.

Jerusalem police commander Aharon Franco refuted initial reports from the scene claiming there were two gunmen. Franco said that only one attacker opened fire at the seminary and told reporters at the scene that "an Israeli army officer nearby" shot the gunman dead.

The 'Galilee Freedom Brigades' – an Israeli-Arab group - has claimed responsibility for the attack. The organization has claimed responsibility for several terror attacks in Israel in the past.

Initial estimates indicate the gunman was a resident of East Jerusalem and likely possessed the blue ID card given to Israeli citizens.

Witnesses said the gunman entered a dining hall where about 80 people were gathered and opened fire.

Paramedics said they treated six additional people for injuries – among them four in serious-to-critical condition.

Yitzhak Dadon, a student, said he was armed with a rifle and waited on the roof of a nearby building. "He came out of the library spraying automatic fire ... the terrorist came to the entrance and I shot him twice in the head," he said.[...]

The seminar is the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in the Kiryat Moshe quarter of Jerusalem, a well-known center of Jewish studies identified with the leadership of the settlement movement. It is home to several hundred students, most aged 18-30.

There were no attacks by Palestinian terrorists in Jerusalem during 2007, though police and the military claimed to have foiled many attempts. Between 2001 and 2004 Jerusalem was a frequent target of Palestinian attacks, including suicide bombings on buses.

And there was joy in Gaza as a result of this terrorist attack.