Four killed in attack on Jerusalem synagogue

The Federal Bureau of Investigation will investigate an attack on a Jerusalem synagogue on Tuesday that took the lives of three Americans, CNN has reported.

Two Palestinian men reportedly entered the ultra-orthodox synagogue carrying guns, knives and axes. They killed four men during morning prayers.

{mosads}The three Americans had emigrated to Israel. A British man who had emigrated to Israel was also killed in the deadliest attack in Jerusalem in six years.

The two men who reportedly carried out the attack were cousins, relatives told The New York Times. Both were killed by security services in the fight following the attack.

Israeli forces quickly descended on the neighborhood where the two men lived, according to the Times, and deployed tear gas on their family home.

President Obama on Tuesday condemned the attack in a statement released by the White House.

“There is and can be no justification for such attacks against innocent civilians,” he said.

It’s the latest act of violence to occur amid a contentious fight over the use of the holy site Jews call the Temple Mount and Muslims call the Noble Sanctuary.

Since 1994, Jews have been allowed to visit the site, but not pray there. Fears that Israel’s government is getting ready to lift the ban have angered Palestinians.

Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said that the attack was the “direct result of incitement” by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The Palestinian leader has adopted strong rhetoric in the dispute over the holy site.

Secretary of State John Kerry said that Abbas and other Palestinian leaders needed to be mindful of their rhetoric.

“The Palestinian leadership must condemn this,” said Kerry, according to the Times, “and they must begin to take serious steps to restrain any kind of incitement that comes from their language, from other people’s language, and exhibit the kind of leadership that is necessary to put this region on a different path.”

Abbas condemned the attack on Tuesday.

“We condemn the killing of civilians from any side,” he said in a statement to an official news agency.

“We condemn the killings of worshipers at the synagogue in Jerusalem and condemn acts of violence no matter their source.”

Amid the dispute over the site, terrorist groups have taken advantage of Palestinian frustration — launching several attacks against Israelis. Drivers have plowed through streets full of people twice in recent weeks. In both instances, the driver was killed by Israeli security forces.

— This report was updated at 11:04 a.m.