At Least Six Dead, 12 Wounded After Gunmen Open Fire at Bus Stop

Jerusalem was rocked by terror Monday morning when two gunmen opened fire at a crowded bus stop during rush hour, killing at least six people and injuring 12 others.

The attack unfolded around 10:15 a.m. local time near the Ramot Junction, a busy intersection on the northern edge of Jerusalem leading toward Jewish settlements. Witnesses described sheer chaos as bullets ripped through commuters waiting for buses.

“People were screaming, running in every direction,” said Magen David Adom paramedic Eli Biton. “Some victims were lying unconscious on the road, others bleeding heavily. It was like a war zone.”

Israeli police confirmed that the two attackers, described as “terrorists,” were shot dead within moments of the assault by a security officer and a civilian. Officers recovered two automatic weapons, extra magazines, and a knife from the scene.

“This was a brutal and deliberate attack on innocent civilians,” said Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. “Among the injured is a pregnant woman. We are treating this as an act of terror.”

Video from the scene showed dozens of terrified people sprinting away as armed security forces rushed in. Sirens echoed through the streets as paramedics scrambled to treat the wounded.

Emergency services confirmed that the dead include a 50-year-old man, three men in their 30s, and a woman in her 50s who died after being rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Seven of the wounded remain in serious condition, and others sustained lighter injuries from shattered glass.

“This is one of the worst attacks we’ve seen in recent months,” said a hospital spokesperson at Shaare Zedek Medical Center. “We are doing everything we can to save lives.”

Hamas issued a statement praising the attack but stopped short of claiming responsibility. “We affirm that this operation is a natural response to the occupation’s crimes and war of extermination against our people,” the group declared.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz responded with a chilling warning directed at Hamas leadership:

“This is a final warning to the murderers and rapists of Hamas in Gaza and in luxury hotels abroad: Release the hostages and lay down your weapons—or Gaza will be destroyed, and you will be annihilated,” Katz wrote on X.

The attack comes amid escalating violence across the region as Israel continues its military operations in Gaza. The IDF said its forces were “encircling several areas on the outskirts of Ramallah to thwart terrorism and strengthen security” following the shooting.

This is the latest in a string of deadly assaults. In October 2024, two Palestinian gunmen killed seven people in a similar attack near Tel Aviv, an operation Hamas openly claimed at the time.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an emergency security briefing following Monday’s attack, saying, “We will respond with strength. Terrorists will find no safe haven.”

For Jerusalem residents, the morning commute turned into a nightmare. “I thought I was going to die,” said 26-year-old witness Miriam Cohen, who narrowly escaped. “People were falling all around me. It’s something I’ll never forget.”

Security forces remain on high alert as investigators search for possible accomplices. The situation at Ramot Junction remains tense, with soldiers stationed across the area.