JERUSALEM Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a crowded bus stop in Jerusalem during Monday’s morning rush hour, leaving six people dead and twelve others wounded, Israeli officials reported.
Police confirmed that an Israeli soldier and nearby civilians shot and killed the two attackers at the scene. A third suspect was later arrested in connection with the assault. Video footage captured dozens fleeing the intersection, as a bus riddled with bullet holes stood nearby and personal belongings lay scattered across the street.
The attack, the deadliest in Israel since October 2024, comes amid escalating violence linked to the ongoing Gaza war, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and fueled rising hostilities in both Israel and the occupied West Bank.
Later on Monday, the Palestinian Health Ministry announced that Israeli forces fatally shot two 14-year-old Palestinians in Jenin. The Israeli military stated the youths had entered a restricted area and ignored orders to leave, though no evidence of a direct threat was provided.
Hamas Response and Palestinian Authority Condemnation
Hamas praised the shooting as a “natural response to the occupation’s crimes,” while stopping short of claiming responsibility. Israel’s Shin Bet identified the attackers as two young Palestinians from the West Bank with no prior arrests.
In contrast, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the attack, denouncing all forms of violence and terrorism against both Palestinians and Israelis. The Palestinian Authority, which maintains limited administrative control in the West Bank, has been largely sidelined since the war began.
Netanyahu’s Warning of Expanded Raids
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the scene after delaying his corruption trial. He commended the soldier who intervened and warned that Israel would launch further large-scale raids in the West Bank.
“The elimination of these two terrorists is not enough,” Netanyahu declared. “We have already dismantled terror nests in refugee camps, evacuating populations and destroying infrastructure. My instruction is to do the same wherever necessary.”
Hundreds of security personnel scoured the area for additional assailants or explosives. By afternoon, police reported the arrest of an east Jerusalem resident linked to the attack. The military also intensified operations, encircling Palestinian villages near Ramallah.
A Pattern of Escalating Violence
The incident echoes past attacks, including an October 2024 shooting inside a Tel Aviv light rail train that killed seven people and was later claimed by Hamas.
According to U.N. humanitarian data, between the start of the Gaza war and July 2025, at least 49 Israelis have been killed in attacks by Palestinians, while Israeli forces and civilians have killed 968 Palestinians in Israel and the West Bank — a toll that includes militants, stone throwers, and civilians.
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