The first explosion took place at the entrance to Jerusalem, the second at the Ramot junction
Jerusalem was hit by two bomb attacks on Wednesday morning. The first explosion took place at a bus stop at the Givat Sha’ul junction near the western entrance to the city and the other at the Ramot junction in northern Jerusalem, killing one and injuring 18, three of them in critical condition.
An explosion took place near a bus stop on Shaarei Yerushalaim Street in Jerusalem shortly after 7:00 a.m. local time. Doctors and paramedics from Magen David Adom provided first aid at the scene to 12 injured people, two in critical condition, two in serious condition and the others in varying degrees. The injured were transported to Hadassah Ein Kerem and Shaare Tzedek hospitals. One person, believed to be a teenager, died of his injuries at Shaare Tzedek Medical Center. Many police forces are on the scene. The circumstances of the explosion are under investigation but it seems that agricultural equipment was used as a primary explosive in view of the significant smoke released.
The second explosion occurred about 25 minutes later at the Ramot crossroads. Three people were lightly injured by shrapnel and were treated at the scene. The circumstances of the first detonation are under investigation. Sources on the cause of the second explosion are conflicting, with some citing an explosive attached to a motorbike, others a bag full of explosives left at the bus stop, police said.
The two explosive charges left in bags were activated remotely by telephone and are very similar. The two bombs each contained a large number of nails to cause maximum casualties. Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai attended the scene and said there may be two terrorists involved. Three Palestinians suspected of being involved in the attacks have been arrested.
“The Zionist occupation is today paying the price for its crimes and aggressions against our people and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Our people will not remain silent in the face of this, and Al-Aqsa’s outrage will explode and spread. spread to all regions,” Hamas spokesman Abd Latif al-Kanou said.
Following an assessment of the security situation conducted this Wednesday morning by Defense Minister Benny Gantz, it was decided to close the Gilboa (Jelma) and Salem crossings in the Jenin region.