Israel Police Confirms Two Officers Killed in Friday Temple Mount Terror Attack

Israeli police released further details regarding the officers who were involved in stopping the terror attack on Friday at Temple Mount and confirmed that two had been killed and two wounded.

The slain officers are Hail Stawi, 30, from Maghar and Kamil Shanan, 22, from Hurfeish, both in northern Israel. Officer Shanan leaves behind a three-week old child, and was the son of former Israeli Druse Knesset member Shakib Shanan. He was recruited into the Israel Police's Temple Mount unit in 2012.

Shanan joined the police as part of his national service and signed on as a career officer seven months ago. Funerals will be held in the officers' hometowns on Friday.

The wounded officers are Nziya Kablan from Beit Jann and Nasser Hiab from Zarzir.

The officers were shot at by terrorists who used Carlo (home-made) rifles. Israeli media reported that one of the terrorists, who was considered to be already neutralized, was able to get to his feet and attempted to assault the officers and was then shot and killed.

The attackers were later identified by the Shin Bet as 29-year-old Muhammad Ahmad Mahmoud Jabarin, Muhammad Ahmed Fadel Jabarin 19, and Muhammad Hamed 'Abd al-Latif Jabarin, 19, from Umm el-Fahm in northern Israel.

The attack, which took place shorty after 7:00 a.m., is the second attack at Jerusalem's Old City within the past month and resulted in the closure of the Temple Mount to Muslim worshipers on Friday.

Israeli officials from across the political spectrum came together on social media to mourn the losses of the policemen. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent his condolences to the families in the name of all Israelis on his accounts.

Zionist Union lawmakers pointed out that Shanan was the son of former Labor MK Shakib Shanan. "One of the policemen that was murdered in the horrible terrorist attack was the son of a friend," MK Merav Michaeli (Zionist Union) tweeted.

Education Minister Naftali Bennett said: "The Jewish people are connected in a covenant of life with our Druse brothers." He changed his avatar on twitter to a photo of the Israeli and Druse flags.

The police said in a statement that Thursday's attack was an "exceptional and extreme" incident. "Shooting at the Temple Mount is serious and sensitive event, which is significant on the political and international level and will be dealt with accordingly," police said.

Police said the Temple Mount will remain closed for an undisclosed amount of time until the conclusion of an investigation into the incident and after searches of the area.