The Jerusalem Magistrates' Court on Thursday granted a motion by the Israel Police and the Shin Bet security agency and partially lifted the gag order on the investigation into last Friday's Temple Mount shooting, allowing security camera footage of the attack to be made available to the media. The footage, taken from a number of security cameras throughout the city, shows the path the terrorists took from the time of their arrival in Jerusalem, through their entry into the Old City and then the Temple Mount, up to the moment of the attack itself. The investigation thus far has revealed that the three terrorists and a fourth accomplice arrived in Jerusalem early last Friday on a bus from northern Israel. The video footage shows them leaving the bus outside the Old City and proceeding separately on foot to Herod's Gate. The accomplice trails behind them, carrying a bag that contains the Carl Gustav rifles used in the shooting. The terrorists enter the Temple Mount compound separately via Bab al-Huta or Forgiveness Gate, and once inside head straight into Al-Aqsa mosque. Police have discovered that once all three were inside the mosque, the accomplice handed over the bag containing the weapons. When they were done praying, two of the terrorists left together and the third followed them out, with the bag on his shoulder. At this point, the accomplice can be seen leaving the Temple Mount compound and later the Old City without the bag. Once the terrorists left Al-Aqsa mosque, they headed in the direction of the bathroom facilities in the compound, where they changed into traditional long garments. The footage shows them exiting the bathroom carrying guns, then walking to Bab Al-Huta, where two of them open fire at the Border Police officers on duty, killing Staff Sgt. Maj. Kamil Shnaan, 22. The killers are then seen running toward the Temple Mount. A police contingent there begins firing back. Staff Sgt. Maj. Haiel Sitawe, 30, is killed in the firefight. Two of the terrorist are also killed. The third terrorist is wounded but continues running toward the Temple Mount, where he collapses. The police reach him and begin to check his condition when he gets up and tries to pull out a knife. The police immobilize him. On the heels of the attack, Jerusalem District Police Commander Maj. Gen. Yoram Halevy issued orders to close the Temple Mount. The site was reopened to Muslim worshippers on Sunday afternoon. The Israel Police said their investigation and the footage prove beyond any doubt that the attackers cynically exploited the holy site. On Thursday, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan addressed the decision to set up metal detectors at the entrances to the Temple Mount compound, a decision that has sparked violent unrest among radicalized Muslims. "My position hasn't changed. This is a security measure that we are adopting to ensure that there are no more terrorist attacks like this," Erdan said.
