Jerusalem massacre - a defining moment

A Palestinian gunman entered the library of a rabbinical seminary and opened fire on a crowded nighttime study session Thursday, killing eight people before he was shot dead, police and rescue workers said. It was the first major militant attack in Jerusalem in more than four years.

	Jerusalem massacre - a defining moment
	BREAKING NEWS Raging Earth tries to destroy humans with immense power Happy Birthday, America! Russia vs. USA: Who wins the space exploration race?
	Top 5 abstract satellite photos of rivers More...

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip praised the operation, and thousands of Palestinians took to the streets of Gaza to celebrate.

The day's violence, which also included a deadly ambush of an army patrol near Israel's border with Gaza, was likely to complicate attempts by Egypt to forge a truce between Israel and Palestinian militants. The U.S. is backing the Egyptian effort.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the attacker walked through the seminary's main gate and entered the library, where witnesses said some 80 people were gathered. He carried an assault rifle and pistol, and used both weapons in the attack, spraying dozens of bullets. Rosenfeld said at least six empty bullet clips were found on the floor.

Rescue workers said nine people were wounded, three seriously.

"Tonight's massacre in Jerusalem is a defining moment," Israel government spokesman Mark Regev told The Associated Press. "It is clear that those people celebrating this bloodshed have shown themselves to be not only the enemies of Israel but of all of humanity."

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the moderate Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, condemned the attack. But Regev said the Palestinians must go further and take steps against extremists.

Israeli defense officials said the attacker came from east Jerusalem, the predominantly Palestinian section of the city, Jerusalem's Palestinians have Israeli ID cards that give them freedom of movement inside Israel, unlike Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

David Simchon, head of the seminary, said the students had been preparing a celebration for the new month on the Jewish calendar, which includes the holiday of Purim. "We were planning to have a Purim party here tonight and instead we had a massacre," he told Channel 2 TV.

Yehuda Meshi Zahav, head of the Zaka rescue service, entered the library after the attack. "The whole building looked like a slaughterhouse. The floor was covered in blood. The students were in class at the time of the attack," he said. "The floors are littered with holy books covered in blood."

Witnesses described a terrifying scene during the shooting, with students jumping out the windows of the building to escape.

Read more news