Three killed, six injured in Jerusalem shooting attack

Three people have been killed and several wounded after two gunmen opened fire at a bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem, Israeli police said, in an attack claimed by the Hamas group.

The two attackers were also killed.

Police said the two gunmen who carried out the attack were from annexed east Jerusalem and were shot dead at the scene.

"Two terrorists arrived in a car, one of them armed with an M-16 and the other with a pistol," and opened fire, Jerusalem police chief Doron Torgeman told reporters at the scene.

The two gunmen were shot dead "after the attack by two off-duty IDF (Israeli army) soldiers and another civilian who fired at them", police said in a statement.

A police spokesman identified those killed as a 73-year-old rabbi, Elimelech Waserman, along with Hana Ifergan, 67, and Livia Dikman, 24.

In a statement issued hours later claiming responsibility, Hamas called the attack "a natural response to the unprecedented crimes of the occupier in the Gaza Strip and against children in Jenin", in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Hamas identified the attackers as brothers Murad Nemr, 38, and Ibrahim Nemr, 30, saying they were members of its armed wing based in east Jerusalem.

The attack came shortly after a truce pausing fighting in Gaza between Palestinian fighters and Israel was extended for a seventh day, moments before it was due to expire.

Two weeks ago an Israeli soldier died after being shot in an attack on a checkpoint on the eastern side of occupied East Jerusalem at the entrance to a tunnel linking the occupied West Bank to the city.

Another five Israeli security personnel were also wounded, with Israeli police shooting dead all three attackers.