Five Israelis injured in Jerusalem

Five Israelis were injured after a Palestinian man drove his car into a crowd in East Jerusalem.

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said that the incident took place outside an Israeli border station on the light rail line separating east and west Jerusalem.

At least four of the injured were confirmed to be female Israeli policewomen. The injuries were described to be from light to moderate. The injured were evacuated to Shaaeri Tzedek hospital.

Israeli police shot the suspected driver, identified as 22 year old Mohammed Mahmoud al-Salaymeh, and severely injured him. Salaymeh had gotten out of the car and was holding a cleaver, according to witnesses. The police believe him to be from the Ras al-Amoud neighbourhood and he is reportedly being held in police custody for questioning.

"A young man rammed his car (into pedestrians), and then got out and tried to stab people," Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri said in a statement.

The area was the same one in which another Palestinian man, Ibrahim al-Akkawi, drove his car into Israelis on 5 November 2014, killing one and injuring 13 others. Akkawi was shot dead by Israeli police after he got out of his car and was brandishing a metal rod.

A video of the aftermath was tweeted by a Palestinian from Jerusalem.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, although Palestinian factions have commended the car attack.

Hassan al-Zaalan, the head of the popular resistance movement in Palestine, said that the attack was "a response to Israeli crimes."

The Hamas movement described the attack as "heroic," with spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum stating that the "extremist" Israeli government is responsible for the Jerusalem situation.