Gunman kills one Israeli soldier and wounds eight others at a bus terminal before an Eritrean migrant is mistakenly shot and wounded by soldiers 

  • Gunman opened fire at the main bus station in Israeli city of Beer Sheva 
  • Six civilians wounded in the attack before one gunman was shot dead 
  • Police confirmed the second gunman was moderately wounded

By Tom Wyke for MailOnline

Published: 12:32 EST, 18 October 2015 | Updated: 18:13 EST, 18 October 2015

A Palestinian gunmen opened fire on bystanders at a bus terminal in Israel, leaving one Israeli soldier dead and eight other people injured.

The lone attacker was armed with a knife and attacked several security officers at the terminal in Beer Sheva, with two people suffering serious wounds before the attacker were stopped by police.

Haftom Zarhum, an Eritrean migrant, was also shot and severely wounded by Israeli soldiers after he was wrongly suspected of being the second gunman.

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A distressed bystander caught up in the attack is comforted by a member of the Israeli Defence Force

A distressed bystander caught up in the attack is comforted by a member of the Israeli Defence Force

The gunman also used knives to attack civilians in Beer Sheva, with two people suffering serious wounds before the attackers were stopped by police

The gunman also used knives to attack civilians in Beer Sheva, with two people suffering serious wounds before the attackers were stopped by police

Local media had initially claimed there were two attackers armed with knives, who started attacking civilians. One of the gunmen grabbed a rifle from an Israeli soldier and began to open fire.

However, it later emerged that the gunman was acting alone and an Eritrean migrant was shot after he was mistaken for being a second gunman.

Medical officials said eight people were rushed to hospital, two of them in serious condition, two moderate, and two lightly wounded. Four of the victims are thought to be police officers.

The shooting was the latest in a series of attacks by Palestinians targeting civilians and security forces in Israel and the West Bank in a wave of violence and unrest raising fears of a full-scale Palestinian uprising.

Including alleged assailants, 42 Palestinians have been killed since an upsurge in violence began on October 1, while seven Israelis have lost their lives.

Tensions have been rising between Israelis and Palestinians following a spate of deadly knife attacks

Tensions have been rising between Israelis and Palestinians following a spate of deadly knife attacks

An injured policeman is carried away for treatment by a civilian at the main bus terminal in Beer Shiva

An injured policeman is carried away for treatment by a civilian at the main bus terminal in Beer Shiva

Israel's Deputy Defense Minister Eli Ben-Dahan said: 'The international community has a duty to fight against and stop the phenomenon of sedition and encouragement of terrorism by the heads of the Palestinian Authority.'

'Unfortunately, the terrorists aren't stopping and we are only witnessing an escalation from knifing to mass shootings,' said Ben-Dahan.  

The attack came as Israel further tightened security around the country, highlighted by the construction of a barrier separating Jewish and Arab neighborhoods in east Jerusalem. 

In a bid to halt the fighting, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he would meet the Israeli and Palestinian leaders in the coming days.

Israel has deployed thousands of police, backed up by troops, to maintain order following a spate of attacks, mostly stabbings, by Palestinian assailants. Those measures have so far failed to stop the violence.

 

 

 

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