A shooting attack at a crowded bus stop in northern Jerusalem left five people dead and at least a dozen others injured on Thursday morning, in one of the city’s deadliest assaults in recent months.
The gunfire erupted around 10:15 a.m. at Ramot Junction, a busy intersection on the outskirts of the capital.
According to police, two armed assailants sprayed bullets into a crowd of commuters, also striking a passing bus whose windshield and front doors were riddled with holes.
Among the victims were three men in their 30s, a man in his 50s, and a woman in her 50s who later succumbed to her injuries after being rushed to hospital. Nine people were treated for gunshot wounds, while three others sustained injuries from shattered glass.
The attackers were quickly shot dead by an off-duty soldier and armed civilians at the scene. Security forces recovered rifles, ammunition, and a knife believed to have been carried by the gunmen.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) deployed additional troops to the area and launched a sweep for possible accomplices. Simultaneously, IDF units tightened their presence around Ramallah in the occupied West Bank as part of a wider counterterrorism operation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir arrived at the scene within hours. Speaking to reporters, Netanyahu condemned the assault as a terrorist attack and vowed that Israel would “respond with strength.”
While no group immediately claimed responsibility, both Hamas and Islamic Jihad have previously praised similar attacks, framing them as resistance to Israel’s occupation.
The bloodshed comes amid mounting tensions in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza, where an uptick in violence has stoked fears of a broader escalation.
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