"Religion of peace" strikes Jerusalem

Victims' blood stains a religious book in the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem March 6, 2008, after a Palestinian gunman infiltrated the seminary and opened fire in the library.

Hat tip: LGF

A school in Jerusalem has been attacked by Palestinian terrorists: Some reports from scene say shooting is ongoing.

Several people were killed Thursday evening when terrorists infiltrated the Merkaz Harav yeshiva Jerusalem and opened fire, a senior police official said.

It was unclear exactly many assailants were involved, but according to various reports, one or two terrorists infiltrated the yeshiva, and may be armed with explosive belts.

Some reports suggested the terrorists were shot and killed, while other reports from the scene said the incident was ongoing and shots were still being fired.

A large number of police and emergency medical personnel had either arrived or were en route to the scene, with some 20-30 ambulances involved.

UPDATE at 3/6/08 11:44:40 am:

Israellycool is liveblogging as news comes in.

Several readers have emailed to say that Palestinians are celebrating and handing out candy.

UPDATE at 3/6/08 12:50:33 pm:

Haaretz has a report from the scene: Witnesses describe ‘horrific’ scene inside Jerusalem yeshiva.

The gunmen entered a dining hall where about 80 people were gathered, witnesses said, and opened fire. There are at least seven killed and 10 people wounded, said Eli Dein, director of Israel’s rescue service.

Medic Yaron Tzuker said he arrived as the gunfire was still going on. “They were still shooting when we got here, he told Channel 10 TV. We took cover and the ambulance was hit. It’s horrible inside - dead bodies and wounded - it’s horrific.”

Yitzhak Dadon, a student, said he was armed with a rifle and waited on the roof of a nearby building. “He came out of the library spraying automatic fire ... the terrorist came to the entrance and I shot him twice in the head, he said.”

Another witness told Israel TV that he heard both single shots and automatic gunfire from inside the building, and it went on about 10 minutes.

The seminar is the Merkaz Harav yeshiva in the Kiryat Moshe quarter at the entrance to Jerusalem, a well-known center of Jewish studies identified with the leadership of the Jewish settlement movement in the West Bank. Most of the students are high school age.

And the Gaza branch of the Religion of Peace is celebrating and gloating:

In Gaza City, residents went out into the streets and fired rifles in celebration in the air after hearing news of the attack on the seminary. “This is God’s vengeance,” blared a loudspeaker in a Gaza City mosque.