At a busy bus stop in West Jerusalem on Thursday, Hamas fighters opened fire at point blank range, killing three Israeli citizens and injuring others. Israeli soldiers who were not on duty shot and killed the militants on the spot.
The militant group based in Gaza had agreed to a seven-day truce with the Israeli military in order to continue the exchange of hostages for Palestinian detainees detained in Israeli jails, when the attack occurred.
Two gunmen were seen in the attack’s video footage arriving at the bus stop in a car, getting out, and firing a pistol and a rifle at the throng. The attackers attempt to reenter their car as the crowd disperses, but three men—later identified by police as two off-duty soldiers and a civilian—shoot them dead.
At least eight Israeli people were hurt, and three of them died. A 74-year-old rabbi was named as one of the deceased by Israeli media.
Not long after, Hamas took credit for the act, calling it “a natural response to unprecedented crimes conducted by the Occupation [Israel],” which included the Israeli military operation in Gaza and the purported maltreatment of Palestinian inmates in Israeli jails.
On October 7, Hamas militants ambushed Israeli towns and cities with a constant barrage of rockets, launching a surprise attack. Later, the militants entered Israel to seize military outposts and settlements close to the Gaza border. Over 80 of the 240 captives that the organisation brought to the strip have been freed since the truce started last week. About 1,200 Israelis lost their lives in the strike on October 7.
In retaliation, Israel began bombing Gaza before deploying troops there at the end of October. Over 15,000 Palestinians have died as a result of the Jewish state’s military campaign, which has drawn harsh criticism from throughout the world, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. According to the ministry, women and children make up about two thirds of this total.
The truce has not been impacted by the shooting in West Jerusalem. As the ceasefire ends, Israel still intends to resume its offensive in Gaza, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Thursday, saying, “I swore to eradicate Hamas.” Nothing will prevent us.
