At least six people, including a pregnant woman, have been confirmed dead, and several are injured after gunmen boarded a bus and opened fire on passengers using automatic weapons in Jerusalem.
The incident occurred at the Ramot Junction on Yigal Yadin Street in Jerusalem on Monday morning, around 10:13am. The assailants were shot dead.
Harrowing footage of the attack showed dozens of people fleeing from a bus stop at the busy intersection during the morning rush hour.
Israeli media reported that the two attackers boarded a bus and opened fire.
Hamas hailed the attack without claiming responsibility, calling it a ‘natural response to the occupation’s crimes against our people’.
Paramedics who responded to the scene said the area was chaotic and covered in broken glass, with people wounded and lying unconscious on the road and a sidewalk near the bus stop.
Bomb disposal units were deployed to make sure the area was safe as forensic teams gathered evidence. Authorities rushed blood supplies from the central bank in Ramla for urgent needs, reports said.
A paramedic at the scene recalled: ‘When we arrived, we saw people lying on the road, unconscious, near the bus stop.
‘There was widespread destruction, shattered glass, and chaos. We immediately began treating the wounded and continue evacuations to hospitals.’
There was no immediate comment on the attack from Palestinian militant groups. Authorities have also not disclosed any motives.
The Israeli military said it had sent soldiers to the area to help cops search for suspects.
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he was assessing the situation with his heads of security. He was seen visiting the scene of the attack with national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Meanwhile, Israel’s army is said to have closed all checkpoints between East Jerusalem and the West Bank after the attacks. Roads leading to the scene were also blocked.
On Sunday, US President Donald Trump said Sunday he was issuing a ‘last warning’ to Hamas, saying the Palestinian militant group must accept a deal to release hostages in Gaza.
‘The Israelis have accepted my terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well. I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning,’ Trump said on social media, without elaborating further.
In a statement released shortly after, Hamas said it was ready to ‘immediately sit at the negotiating table’ following what it described as ‘some ideas from the American side aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement.’
US news outlet Axios reported Sunday that White House envoy Steve Witkoff sent a new proposal for a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal to Hamas last week.
The White House has not released any details.
In early March, Trump issued a similar ultimatum to Hamas, demanding it free all remaining hostages immediately and turn over bodies of dead hostages, saying if not, ‘it is OVER for you.’
Israeli campaign group the Hostages and Missing Families Forum welcomed the US president’s latest intervention as a ‘true breakthrough.’
Hamas militants seized 251 hostages during the massive October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, with 47 still believed to be in Gaza.
The Israeli military says 25 of them are dead. Israel is seeking the return of their remains.
Earlier reports indicated that 15 people were wounded and at least five were in serious condition.
The war in Gaza has sparked a surge of violence in both the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Israel.
Palestinian militants have attacked and killed Israelis in Israel and the West Bank, while there has also been a rise in settler violence against Palestinians.
While there have been scattered attacks over the past months in Israel, the last deadly mass shooting attack was in October 2024, when two Palestinians from the West Bank opened fire on a major boulevard and light rail station in the Tel Aviv area, killing seven people and leaving many others wounded.
Hamas’ military wing claimed responsibility for the attack.
According to police, the two men opened fire in the Jaffa neighbourhood of Tel Aviv, including shooting directly into a light rail carriage crowded with passengers that was stopped at a station.
This is a breaking news story with more to come.
