Israeli police arrest 42 people after the attack left seven dead

Israeli police have arrested 42 people in connection with deadly shooting at a synagogue in eastern Jerusalem, where seven people were killed and at least three others were injured.

Israeli police said the gunman in Saturday's attack was a 13-year-old boy. Police said the officers later shot him to death.

The attack took place in Silwan district, just outside the old city of Jerusalem. The two injured were father and son.

In response to the two attacks, authorities have deployed officers from an anti-terrorism unit in the Jerusalem area “to respond immediately to extraordinary events whenever necessary”.

The man who attacked the synagogue on Friday was identified by local media as a Palestinian from East Jerusalem, whom police described as “terrorist”.

Israelite worshipers had gathered for prayer at the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath in a synagogue in the city's Neve Yaakov district and were fleeing when the armed person opened fire, about 20:15 local time.

Palestinian militant groups praised the attack, but did not say one of their members was responsible.

Tensions have been high since nine Palestinian militants and civilians were killed during an Israeli military attack on Yen in the occupied West Coast on Thursday.

This was followed by rocket launch in Israel by Gaza, which Israel responded to by air strikes, reports Guardian.

The synagogue shooting took place on Holocaust Memorial Day, which commemorates six million Jews and other victims killed in Holocaust by the Nazi regime in Germany.

Israel has conquered East Jerusalem since the 1967 Middle East war and considers the whole city its capital, although this is not recognized by the vast majority of the international community.

The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the future capital of a hoped - for independent state.