A Palestinian attacker opened fire early on Tuesday at the entrance to an illegal settlement outside the occupied old city of al-Quds (' Jerusalem'), killing three Israeli troopers and critically wounding a fourth, Israeli police and medical services said.
Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the attacker was a 37-year-old Palestinian who approached the back gate entrance of the Har Adar settlement, hiding among fellow Palestinian day laborers who were being checked by security forces.
She said he aroused their suspicions and was asked to stop. At that point, he pulled out a weapon and began opening fire from a short distance.
The Palestinian attacker was then gunned down by other forces at the scene.
He was married and had four children. He was living in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli army against the international law demolished his house following the operation.
The anti-occupation operation took place three years into the third Palestinian intifada.
It showed that the depth of Israel is within the reach of the Palestinian fighters and that Palestinians are determined to keep the option of armed intifada.
It also showed that the Palestinian community has made absolute priority once again to put an end to the 70-year occupation.