Secretary-General condemns deadly shooting at seminary in Jerusalem

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned today's shooting at a Jewish rabbinical seminary in west Jerusalem that has left at least eight people dead and many more injured, calling it a “savage attack.”

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban deplored the deliberate killing and injuring of civilians and offered his condolences to the families of those killed.

“The Secretary-General is deeply concerned at the potential for continued acts of violence and terrorism to undermine the political process, which he believes must be pursued to achieve a secure and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians, based on a two-State solution,” the statement said.

Ambassador Vitaly Churkin of Russia, which currently holds the rotating monthly presidency of the Security Council, has scheduled urgent consultations tonight among the 15-member panel on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.