Six people were killed and twelve others wounded Monday morning when two Palestinian terrorists opened fire at Jerusalem’s Ramot Junction, targeting civilians waiting at a bus stop and passengers on a nearby bus.
The attack occurred shortly after 10 a.m. at the busy intersection. Police said the two gunmen arrived at the scene and immediately began shooting at people waiting for transportation and those on bus number 62, which had just pulled into the stop.
An off-duty soldier from the IDF’s Hasmonean Brigade, along with armed civilians present, returned fire and killed both terrorists.
Four victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while two others died later of their wounds at local hospitals. The deceased have been identified as Rabbi Yosef David, 43; Yisrael Matzner, 28; Sarah Mendleson, 60; Levi Yitzchak Pash; Yaakov Pinto, 25; and Mordechai Steinzag, 78. Six others remain in serious condition, with additional victims in moderate and light condition.
The terrorists came from the villages of Al-Qubeiba and Qatanna in the West Bank, located west of the junction. Israeli forces have surrounded both villages and are searching for potential accomplices, while the Shin Bet have announced that they had arrested a Palestinian resident of Jerusalem for driving the terrorists into Jerusalem. The attackers used improvised submachine guns manufactured in illegal workshops, according to police who recovered the weapons along with a knife and ammunition.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the scene and stated, “A mighty war against terror is taking place on all fronts….Such terror attacks will not deter Israel. They only increase our determination to complete our missions.”
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