Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett took to Twitter on Sunday, January 16, to say he was “relieved and thankful” that the hostage situation at a synagogue in the state of Texas in the US had been resolved without any harm to those held at gunpoint.
Saturday’s incident resulted in the death of the gunman, the Colleyville Police told reporters after the 10-hour standoff was over, thanks to intervention from an FBI SWAT team.
Bennett said in his tweet: “Relieved and thankful that the hostages of Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas have been rescued.”
He added: “I commend the law enforcement agencies and teams on the ground who responded swiftly & courageously to ensure the safety of the hostages.”
Read his tweet here:
Relieved and thankful that the hostages of Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas have been rescued.
I commend the law enforcement agencies and teams on the ground who responded swiftly & courageously to ensure the safety of the hostages.
— Naftali Bennett בנט (@naftalibennett) January 16, 2022
The Colleyville Police said the gunman had held four people hostage and demanded the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani-origin neuroscientist who is serving an 86-year sentence in a Texas prison.
Siddiqui — christened Lady Al-Qaeda by some US news outlets — was convicted in 2010 of shooting at US soldiers and officials in Afghanistan after they arrested her on suspicion of terrorism in 2008.
The FBI said it was choosing to keep the identity of the gunman a secret.