At least five people were killed and several others wounded on Monday morning when gunmen opened fire at a crowded bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem, Israeli emergency services confirmed.
Police said two assailants drove to Ramot Junction and began shooting indiscriminately at civilians waiting for transport.
A security officer and an armed civilian returned fire, killing the attackers on the spot. Several weapons, ammunition and a knife were recovered from the scene.
Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency response service, reported that among the dead were three men in their 30s and a man and woman in their 50s. Six others remain in critical condition, while additional victims suffered moderate to mild injuries.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who visited the scene, said Israel was “at war against terrorism” and vowed that security operations in Gaza, Jerusalem, and the West Bank would continue.
He revealed that hundreds of attempted attacks had been foiled this year, though Monday’s assault proved deadly.
President Isaac Herzog condemned the shooting as “absolute evil,” praising what he described as “extraordinary acts of heroism” that prevented even greater loss of life.
The incident marks the deadliest shooting in Jerusalem in nearly two years. The last major attack of this scale occurred in November 2023, when two Hamas gunmen killed three Israelis at another bus stop.
While Hamas did not claim responsibility for Monday’s attack, the militant group issued a statement welcoming the attack.
European leaders, including France’s President Emmanuel Macron and Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, quickly condemned the violence, calling for restraint and efforts toward peace. Germany, Belgium, and Poland also issued statements denouncing terrorism and urging diplomatic solutions.
After the shooting, Israeli forces sealed off the area, dispatched troops to nearby West Bank communities, and closed surrounding roads as a precaution.
