Police say Palestinian driver deliberately killed Israeli

Authorities deem car-ramming intentional after investigation; family of suspect insists no malicious intent involved

By AFP and ToI Staff 18 April 2015, 7:42 pm

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Police investigate the scene where a driver rammed his car into a bus stop in French Hill, Jerusalem, on April 15, 2015. (photo credit: Fire and Rescue Services)

A Palestinian driver deliberately rammed his car into a Jerusalem bus stop this week and killed an Israeli man in a “horrible attack,” Israel Police chief Yohanan Danino said Saturday.

“Today we can say that it is a horrible attack,” Danino said in a statement after an investigation into Wednesday’s incident.

He ruled out initial suggestions that it had been an accident.

Shalom Yohai Sherki, 25, and Shira Klein, 20, were seriously injured in the attack on the bus stop in East Jerusalem.

Shalom Sherki, 25, who was killed in a car-ramming attack in Jerusalem's French Hill neighborhood (screen capture) — Shalom Sherki, 25, who was killed in a car-ramming attack in Jerusalem’s French Hill neighborhood (screen capture)

Sherki, the son of prominent rabbi Ouri Sherki who is well known in the city’s francophone community, died of his injuries on Thursday morning and was buried later that day.

The driver, Khaled Koutineh, a Palestinian from East Jerusalem, was also injured and arrested by the police.

Koutineh’s family told Palestinian media on Thursday night that he could not have had malicious intent, Ynet News reported. Koutineh’s wife said the 37-year-old had left his house at around 10 p.m. Wednesday to drive his parents to their home in Jerusalem’s Old City.

According to Koutineh’s wife, hitting the two was an accident caused by the bad weather at the time.

Police investigate a car that struck a bus stop on Apr. 15, 2015 in Jerusalem's French Hill, which killed one and seriously injured another. (Photo credit: Fire and Rescue Services) — Police investigate a car that struck a bus stop on Apr. 15, 2015 in Jerusalem’s French Hill, which killed one and seriously injured another. (Photo credit: Fire and Rescue Services)

Israel has been shaken by a spate of deadly attacks by Palestinians in the Holy City since last October.

In March, five Israelis were injured when a Palestinian drove into a group of pedestrians before getting out of the car to try to stab people.

An Israeli border guard was killed and several people were injured in November when a Palestinian drove his vehicle into people waiting at a stop on the city’s light railway system.

And in a similar attack, two people — including a three-month Israeli-American baby — were killed in October.