A terrorist attack at a bus stop in Jerusalem on Monday left at least six people dead and 21 others wounded. The attackers, identified as two gunmen, were shot and killed at the scene by an off-duty soldier and armed civilians.
According to The Jerusalem Post, the assailants opened fire on civilians waiting at a bus stop and targeted a nearby bus. Among the fatalities were at least three rabbis. Four victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while two others later died in the hospital.
“When we arrived, we saw people lying unconscious on the road, on the side of the road, and on the sidewalk near a bus stop. There was a lot of destruction, shattered glass on the floor, and a lot of commotion,” said paramedic Nadav Taib. His colleague, paramedic Fadi Dkaidek, described the scene as “very severe,” with multiple casualties spread across the area.
One eyewitness, an elderly woman who had been a passenger on the bus, described the chaos: “The bus was packed, and as soon as it pulled up to the stop, there was shooting. A suspicious man made a phone call, which several people witnessed. While he was on the phone, the terrorists arrived. I went to the other side of the road and hid under another bus.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack, linking it to the broader conflict with Hamas. “Terror attacks only increase our determination to complete our missions — in Judea and Samaria, too — everywhere,” he said, as reported by The Times of Israel. Netanyahu added that the military campaign in Gaza would continue until Hamas is defeated and all hostages are freed.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir praised armed civilians for their quick response, saying the incident demonstrates the effectiveness of his policy encouraging wider civilian gun ownership. “Weapons save lives,” he stated.
President Isaac Herzog also responded to the attack, calling it a “painful and difficult morning.” In a statement posted to social media, Herzog said, “Innocent civilians, women, men, and children were brutally murdered and wounded in cold blood… In the face of this barbarity, we saw extraordinary acts of heroism which prevented even further loss of innocent lives.”
Hamas later claimed responsibility for the attack, describing it as a “heroic and unique operation” and a “natural response” to Israeli military actions in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem, according to The New York Times.