John Kerry
John KerryReuters

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday condemned a violent road rampage in Jerusalem, saying it was a "terrorist act" that "only raises tensions" in the tinderbox region.

Speaking ahead of a meeting with Jordan's foreign minister in Paris, Kerry told reporters, "That is not just a terrorist act and an ... atrocity, but it only makes matters worse. It only raises tensions."

"We urge everybody to try to step back and find a way to create enough calm and enough space to be able to negotiate these difficult issues," he added.

On Wednesday, Hamas terrorist Ibrahim al-Akari plowed his car into a Jerusalem Light Rail station, before exiting his vehicle and beating bystanders with a crowbar. The rampage killed a Druze Border Policeman and wounded ten to fifteen others. 

Hamas released a statement Wednesday night lauding the terrorist as a "hero" and a "martyr." 

This is the third terror attack in two weeks, after a similar incident in October killed a three month-old baby and a seminary student and after the attempted murder last week of Temple Mount rights activist Yehuda Glick.