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Two Israelis, a newly married police officer and a grandmother were killed yesterday in a shooting attack in Jerusalem.

The attack took place yesterday morning near a busy light railway station in the Ammunition Hill area on the edge of east and west Jerusalem. The assailant, an Arab resident of East Jerusalem, opened fire at commuters and then sped away towards the Arab neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah. Police gave chase on motorcycles and eventually the attacker was shot dead.

The two Israelis killed in the attack were 60-year-old grandmother Levana Malihi, who had been an employee at the Knesset for more than 30 years, and 29-year-old police officer Yosef Kirma, who had been married just a few months.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said: “We will not bow. We will continue to live our lives, despite the uncompromising war on terror and wild incitement.”

Meanwhile, UK Middle East Minister Tobias Ellwood tweeted: “Utterly condemn the attacks in #Jerusalem. My thoughts are with victims and their families.”

The name of the attacker has been withheld by Israeli authorities. However, he is reported to have been a 39-year-old from the Silwan neighbourhood. Media reports say that he was due to begin a prison suspended sentence yesterday for attacking an Israeli policeman.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum called the attack “a natural reaction to the continued crimes of the occupation”. Hamas also claimed that the attacker was one of its members.

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan blamed such attacks on “the increase in the amount of incitement,” and in particular blamed social media platforms for failing to clamp down on incendiary language.

A wave of Palestinian violence which began last October has killed 42 people. It appeared to fade over the summer, but there has been an increase in attacks during the past several weeks, including the stabbing of two Israeli police officers last month in Jerusalem.