JERUSALEM, Sept 9 (V7N) – Two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem on Monday, killing six people and injuring more than 20 in one of the city’s deadliest attacks in recent years. Israeli authorities described the incident as “a terrorist attack.” The attackers were shot dead at the scene by a soldier and an armed civilian.

Footage from a dashboard camera at Ramot Junction showed panicked people fleeing from around a bus as gunfire erupted. The victims included a 50-year-old man, a woman in her fifties, and three men in their thirties, with one additional person later succumbing to injuries, bringing the death toll to six. Six others remain in serious condition.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar confirmed that the gunmen were Palestinians from the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the scene and stated that Israeli forces were pursuing anyone who aided the attackers. The Israeli military deployed soldiers in the area and conducted operations in Ramallah in the West Bank to prevent further incidents.

Several weapons, ammunition, and a knife used by the attackers were recovered at the scene. Police also arrested a suspect from East Jerusalem who is under investigation for alleged involvement in the shooting.

The attack occurs amid nearly two years of war in Gaza, where Israeli military campaigns against Hamas have devastated the territory. In the West Bank, Palestinians face increased military restrictions and a surge in attacks by Jewish settlers.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned the shooting, calling it “a painful and difficult morning” in which “innocent civilians, women, men, and children were brutally murdered and wounded in cold blood.” Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also condemned the targeting of civilians. Hamas and Islamic Jihad praised the attackers but did not formally claim responsibility.

International responses included condemnation from Spain, France, the European Union, and the United Arab Emirates. Spanish authorities confirmed that a Spanish citizen was among the victims.

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, more than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gazan health officials, while Israel reports that around 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 taken captive during the initial Hamas-led attacks. The recent Jerusalem shooting is part of a series of attacks in Israel and the West Bank since the war began, including previous deadly shootings in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

News Source: Reuters 

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