JERUSALEM. Six people were killed and more than 20 others injured on Monday when two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem, in what police described as “a terrorist attack.” It was one of the deadliest assaults in the city in recent years.
Dashboard camera footage from Ramot Junction showed people fleeing as shots were fired near a bus parked by the roadside. Israel Police said the attackers were shot dead at the scene by a soldier and an armed civilian. Several guns, ammunition, and a knife were recovered.
“Suddenly I hear the shots starting … I felt like I was running for an eternity,” said Ester Lugasi, who was injured in the attack. “I thought I was going to die.”
The ambulance service said the victims included a 50-year-old man, a woman in her fifties, and three men in their thirties. Six others remained in serious condition with gunshot wounds. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar later confirmed a sixth fatality, identifying the gunmen as Palestinians from the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir ordered a full closure of the area from which the attackers originated, according to the Israeli military. Police said a suspect from East Jerusalem was arrested for alleged involvement in the incident.
Spain’s foreign ministry confirmed that a Spanish citizen was among those killed and condemned the attack. France, the European Union, and the United Arab Emirates also issued statements of condemnation.
“A painful and difficult morning. Innocent civilians, women, men, and children were brutally murdered and wounded in cold blood on a bus in Jerusalem by vile and evil terrorists,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog said.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas released a statement condemning “any targeting of Palestinian and Israeli civilians.” However, Hamas praised the two Palestinian “resistance fighters,” while Islamic Jihad also welcomed the attack. Neither group claimed responsibility.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking at the scene, said Israeli forces were pursuing individuals suspected of aiding the gunmen. The Israeli military said soldiers had been deployed to assist police in the Ramot area and were conducting operations in Ramallah to interrogate suspects and “thwart terrorism.”
The attack comes against the backdrop of nearly two years of war in Gaza, where Israeli military operations have killed more than 64,000 Palestinians since October 2023, according to Gazan health officials. The conflict began after a Hamas-led assault on Israel that killed around 1,200 people and resulted in 251 captives taken into Gaza, according to Israeli figures.
Israel has seen a surge in shootings and stabbings targeting civilians and soldiers since the outbreak of the war. In October 2024, two Palestinians killed seven people in Tel Aviv. In November 2023, three people were killed in another Jerusalem bus stop shooting. In January 2023, a Palestinian gunman killed seven people at a synagogue in the city.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
