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Driver dead, seven injured in terrorist attack in Jerusalem

At least seven people were wounded after a Palestinian man drove a vehicle into a busy market in Jerusalem, in what police are calling a terrorist attack Monday. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI
1 of 5 | At least seven people were wounded after a Palestinian man drove a vehicle into a busy market in Jerusalem, in what police are calling a terrorist attack Monday. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo

April 24 (UPI) -- At least seven people were wounded after a Palestinian man drove a vehicle into a busy market in Jerusalem, in what police are calling a terrorist attack Monday.

An armed civilian killed the driver, 39-year-old Hatem Najma, police confirmed following the incident.

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All of those injured in the incident were taken to the same hospital.

A man in his 70s was in serious condition at the time. A woman in her 30s was listed in moderate condition, while three men, one in his 50s and two 25-year-olds suffered only minor injuries.

Najma, a married father of five, wasn't known to Israeli security forces but did have a history of mental illness.

The attack happened in the heart of Jerusalem, a block from the busy Mahane Yehuda outdoor market.

Police say Najma sped up at an intersection, deliberately plowing into a group of pedestrians crossing the street at an intersection. An armed civilian then shot him while he was still behind the steering wheel.

Monday evening marks the start of Israel's Memorial Day, to commemorate the lives of fallen soldiers.

Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident a terrorist attack.

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"Minutes ago, not far from here, there was another attempt to murder Israeli citizens. This terror attack reminds us that the Land of Israel and the State of Israel were acquired through many tribulations," Netanyahu said before attending a Memorial Day ceremony.

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