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American Infant Killed in Jerusalem Terror Attack

CBN

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JERUSALEM, Israel -- A day after a Palestinian terrorist killed an American baby in Jerusalem when he plowed a car into a crowd, masked Palestinians threw rocks at a Jerusalem kindergarten.

Wednesday's terror attack was captured by a security camera that showed Abdul Rahman al-Shaludi driving off the road and accelerating as he ran over pedestrians waiting for a train.

Three-month-old Chaya Zissel Braun, a U.S. citizen, was killed and seven others wounded in the attack.

Chaya's grandfather, Shimshon Halperin, told reporters the baby's parents had tried for years to have a child and had just returned from the Western Wall. Baby Chaya was buried overnight in Jerusalem.

Shaludi, the terrorist, was from the mostly Arab neighborhood of Silwan, also known as the City of David, the original site of biblical Jerusalem.

"The suspect fled the scene," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

"He was shot by police units that responded quickly in the area, and obviously we're looking at this incident at this moment in time as a strong possibility of a terrorist related incident," Rosenfeld said.

Recently a number of Jewish families moved into Silwan, sparking protests there.

Media reports said Hamas carried out the attack. Israel blamed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for partnering with Hamas in a unity government.

"The attack on a mother and a baby is typical of Hamas, President Abbas' partner in the Palestinian government," Mark Regev, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesman, said.

"President Abbas himself unfortunately continues to use inflammatory rhetoric, inciting against Israelis. This instead of being a force for peace and reconciliation," Regev said.

For months Palestinians have mounted a campaign of stone-throwing at Israelis in eastern sections of Jerusalem, which they want for a capital of a future state.

On his Facebook page, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said, "the source of the [Israeli-Palestinian] conflict is not territorial but the fact that the Palestinians aren't ready to recognize our right to exist as a Jewish state.

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