According to new DNA evidence, Israeli-Bedouin Muhammad al-Osaibi, who was shot and killed by Israel Police in Jerusalem's Old City on Saturday night, disarmed a policeman and attempted to attack a policewoman with the stolen gun before he was killed.
This information was released in an Israel Police statement on Sunday afternoon.
"Since the shooting attack," the police statement said, "many have been spreading false versions [of the story] on social media...[This] was a shooting attack in which a terrorist almost killed police officers who defended their own lives in the face of real, life-threatening danger."
According to the statement, DNA traces were found on the policeman's gun which matched the DNA of the Israeli-Bedouin alleged shooter.
Details of the event on Saturday night
Israel Police shot and killed Israeli-Bedouin Muhammad al-Osaibi near the Chain Gate of the Temple Mount early Saturday, saying he attempted to steal an officer’s weapon and commit a terrorist attack.
Osaibi’s family has rejected the claim, saying he was a “normal kid, a medical student in Romania who returned for a month.” Ynet said he was 26 from the village of Hura.
A police officer who fought with Osaibi said he asked him to leave the area because the gate was closed and Osaibi began arguing with him.
Israel Police stated that because the incident happened behind the closed gate, it was not caught by security cameras in the area. Police published footage of the gate during the incident showing the gate closed and people suddenly running, possibly after shots were fired.
Tzvi Joffre contributed to this report.