Gunmen attack bus stop in Jerusalem, killing at least 6

JERUSALEM — A bus packed with passengers pulled up at a crowded bus stop in the northern outskirts of Jerusalem on Monday morning. Suddenly, bursts of gunfire split the air, and people fled, screaming, as this routine commuter spot turned into a battle zone.

The shooting left at least six people dead and several more seriously wounded, according to Israel’s ambulance service and hospital officials. Israeli authorities said the two gunmen were from Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank and were killed at the scene.

The shooting occurred about 10:15 a.m. when gunmen opened fire at people waiting at the bus stop at a busy intersection, police said. Police added in a statement that a soldier and several civilians at the bus stop had “engaged the attackers and returned fire,” killing them on the spot.

Video from the scene showed that two buses were hit by gunfire. Windows were pocked with bullet holes, and shattered glass glinted on the road.

The intersection where the attack took place is in Ramot, a large, hilly area that Israel took in the Arab-Israeli war of 1967 and later annexed. Palestinians and much of the rest of world consider Ramot to be a settlement in occupied territory. It is now home to tens of thousands of Israelis who live on winding streets lined with apartment blocks and some single-family homes.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel visited the scene of the attack and said his country was in a “war against terrorism” on several fronts.

The attack comes as Israel expands its nearly two-year campaign against Hamas, which led the attack on Israel in October 2023 that ignited the war in the Gaza Strip.

The military has in recent days been stepping up strikes before a planned takeover of Gaza City, which Israeli officials have said is one of Hamas’ last strongholds. In the West Bank, land grabs by Jewish settlers and attacks on Palestinians and their property have intensified in recent months, hitting a record high.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.