Above: IDF enter the library

A gunman killed 8 students in a prominent Jewish seminary right in the heart of Jerusalem on Thursday. He wounded nine others; with three of them left in critical condition. One of the wounded are pictured below.

In a sad twist of fate, the students were currently praying at the time of the attack.

After killing two at the entrance of the Mercaz Harav yeshiva, the gunman proceeded into the library and fired at the religious students with his Kalashnikov rifle (also called an AK-47: the most widely used assault weapon of terrorists / pictured below). The students’ ages ranged from 20 to 30 years old.

This was the first attack of this magnitude in Jerusalem in nearly four years.

The lone gunman was killed at the scene – but varied confusing accounts made it impossible to determine how he was killed.

This violent civilian attack came at a time of increased Israeli-Palestinian tension. Only recently did the IDF withdraw from Gaza after a two day incursion against Hamas. The recent incursion was brought about by random rocket firing from Hamas forces who just recently upgraded into long range rockets — reaching further inside to the Israeli city of Ashkelon. Deaths in the past week are in the 130’s for Palestinians and four for Israelis.

Hamas, however, did not take responsibility for the shooting; but they were pleased with what had occurred saying: “We bless the operation. It will not be the last.”

“This attack was a selective operation that came as a reaction to the crimes of the Israeli occupation and the massacres against civilians in the Gaza Strip,” said Sami Abu Zuhri, spokesman for the Hamas.

Mr. Mark Regev, spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, admitted to the media that responsibility for the murders was still unclear: “Before we can speak of response we have to ascertain exactly who was behind it. We will act to protect our people.”

But he did not shy away from putting a finger on who they believe were behind the shooting: “… tonight’s massacre in Jerusalem is a defining moment.” He added that “the same warped and extremist ideology behind tonight’s massacre is also behind the daily rocket barrages in the south.”

But these words are of no worth to the people of Israel. What they need is action and conviction – which has been lacking from their government from the get go.

People outside the yeshiva are furious at Olmert and his apparent passivity: “Death to Arabs!” — “Olmert is to blame!”

43 year old Rabbi David Shalem, Director of the Institute of Talmud Studies of the yeshiva said in tears, “Tomorrow instead of religious lectures there will be funerals.” Afterwards he let out a loud cry: “Let the government go to hell! Write that down. Let the government go to hell!”

Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski is obviously shocked and devastated with the news saying, “This is a sad evening for Jerusalem. We had about gotten used to quiet and calm.”

A spokesman from the Israeli police, Chief Inspector Micky Rosenfeld, said in an interview that the killer is probably living within the vicinity since he needed no permit to enter the predominantly Jewish part of the city.

According to one of the press people in Israel: “Jerusalem is a town where Jews and Arabs live together. The terrorist took advantage of the fact that he could move freely in west Jerusalem.”

The people way inside Israel are now involved with what is going on in their borders. It’s a sad and rude awakening but this will definitely fan the flames of protest against the government and their apparent inaction.

Update:

According to a Shiite Muslim Hezbollah TV station, a group called “The Free Galil Brigades and Group of Imad Mughniyeh and Martyrs of Gaza” claimed responsibility for the shooting. Mughniyeh, said to be the role model of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, was a Hezbollah leader killed in a February 12 bombing in Damascus. Hezbollah blamed Israel for his death, but Israel denies any involvement.