Six Killed in Jerusalem Bus Stop Shooting
Six people were killed and about 20 others wounded Monday morning when two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a bus stop at Jerusalem’s Ramot Junction, Israeli authorities said.
The victims included four Israeli men, a Spanish national, and one unidentified person. Among the injured was a pregnant woman, according to Israel’s emergency service, Magen David Adom (MDA).
Police said both attackers, 20-year-old Muthanna Omar and 21-year-old Muhammad Taha, from villages just outside Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank, were shot and killed by security forces.
Authorities said the assailants, armed with firearms and a knife, opened fire on commuters, striking nearby pedestrians. They also boarded a crowded bus and continued shooting. Footage from the scene showed dozens of people running from the gunfire, fleeing past parked cars at the busy intersection.
“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 wrote on X.
“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.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the scene of the attack on Monday and later convened a meeting to assess the situation.
“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,” Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office.
Hamas did not claim responsibility for the attack but said in a statement, “this operation is a natural response to the crimes of the occupation.”
The shooting occurred as Israeli forces escalated operations in Gaza City.
On Sunday, Hamas said it was ready to “immediately sit at the negotiating table” after receiving U.S. proposals for a ceasefire and the release of captives.
The statement followed President Donald Trump’s announcement that he had issued his “last warning” to Hamas to accept a deal. According to Axios, the proposal calls for the release of all 48 remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for a ceasefire and an end to Israel’s operation to occupy Gaza.
