At least six people were killed in a gun attack on a bus in Jerusalem. Police say the two attackers are also dead. A suspected accomplice of the attackers has been arrested.
Following the deadly attack in Jerusalem, police say they have arrested a resident of the predominantly Arab eastern part of the city. They are investigating suspicions that he was involved in the preparation of the attack, a statement said. Together with the domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet, they have launched an investigation to bring all those involved to justice.
Two Palestinians opened fire at a bus stop in Jerusalem, killing at least six Israelis. Initially, four were reported dead. According to emergency services, a total of twelve people were taken to hospitals with injuries, seven of them seriously injured. The fatalities include five men and one woman.
According to police, two attackers were killed. According to media reports, they were shot by a soldier and an armed civilian.
Emergency services comb through attackers' homes
The militant Islamist terrorist organization Hamas claimed the attackers were two Palestinian militants. The Palestinian organization declared the attack a"response to the crimes of the occupation and the genocide against our people."
According to Palestinian sources, the perpetrators came from the neighboring Palestinian towns of Katana and Al-Kubeiba, located in the occupied West Bank just north of Jerusalem. According to eyewitness reports, Israeli troops entered both towns in armored vehicles.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said security forces are hunting for suspected accomplices of the attackers, and that the locations from which the perpetrators came are being encircled."We will reach out to everyone who helped them and sent them, and we will take even tougher measures," he said.
Attack on bus
Information about the course of events has so far been inconsistent. According to ARD reporter Pia Steckelbach, the attack occurred at a major intersection near the Ramot neighborhood—a part of the city that Israel conquered and later annexed in the 1967 Six-Day War. However, the United Nations and most countries do not recognize the annexation.
Paramedics reported an attack on a bus at an intersection in the north of the city. Israeli media also reported that the attackers entered a bus and opened fire. Israeli police said people waiting at a bus stop were attacked. Images show bullet holes on the vehicle.
Abbas condemns violence
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his rejection of violence. According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, Abbas said he condemned"any attacks against Palestinian and Israeli civilians" as well as "all forms of violence and terrorism." At the same time, Abbas said security and stability in the region could only be achieved through an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, a halt to"acts of genocide" in the Gaza Strip, and"settler terrorism throughout the West Bank."
According to his office, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu held a briefing with security representatives after the attack.
Wadephul: Shocked by cowardly attack
The attack caused horror in Germany. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expressed his"deep shock" at the cowardly terrorist attack on social media. He said his thoughts were with the victims' families and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
