Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a bus stop in north Jerusalem on Monday, killing six people and injuring several others, according to Israeli officials. The attack took place at the busy Ramot Junction on Yigal Street, a roadway leading toward East Jerusalem.
Emergency responders from Magen David Adom (MDA) initially confirmed five fatalities, but Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar later announced during a visit to Hungary that the death toll had risen to six. Saar added that a pregnant woman was among those wounded. Police confirmed that two gunmen involved in the attack were killed at the scene.
The MDA reported that at least seven individuals were in serious condition following the shooting, though it was unclear whether those figures had changed as the death toll rose. According to an MDA statement, the victims included a man “about 50 years old and three men aged around 30.” Medics continued to provide treatment to the wounded.
Witness videos showed dozens of people fleeing the sound of gunfire, rushing past stopped vehicles at the crowded intersection. Israeli media reported that the attackers boarded a bus full of passengers and began firing indiscriminately.
Response from Security and Officials
In an official statement, police said, “A security officer and a civilian at the scene responded immediately, returned fire, and neutralized the attackers.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned the assault, writing, “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. In the face of this barbarity, we saw extraordinary acts of heroism which prevented even further loss of innocent lives. This shocking attack reminds us once again that we are fighting absolute evil. The world must understand what we are up against, and that terror will never defeat us.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the scene on Monday and later issued a statement through his office. “We are pursuing and encircling the villages from which the terrorists came. We will reach everyone who assisted them, who sent them, and we will take even harsher measures,” he said. Netanyahu declared, “We are at war — a full-scale war against terror on multiple fronts.”
Hamas, which has been engaged in conflict with Israel in Gaza for nearly two years, praised the attack. The group said in a statement, “We affirm that this operation is a natural response to the crimes of the occupation and the genocide it is waging against our people.”
Context of the Ongoing Conflict
The Jerusalem shooting marks one of the deadliest incidents of its kind since the war in Gaza began following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, terrorist attack in Israel. That assault killed more than 1,200 people, most of them civilians, according to Israeli officials. Hamas and its allies also captured 251 Israelis as hostages, around 50 of whom remain in Gaza, with 20 still believed to be alive, according to Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Israel’s military operations in Gaza, launched in response to the October 2023 attack, have resulted in the deaths of at least 64,522 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures released by the health ministry in Gaza. The United Nations regards these figures as the most reliable currently available.
