One woman died and 39 were injured after an explosion took place near a bus in central Jerusalem Wednesday afternoon.
Police said that a bomb exploded outside Egged bus number 74 at a station opposite the Jerusalem Conference Center (Binyanei Ha’uma) in the center of town.
Thirty-nine people were injured in the attack. Three were injured seriously from the explosion itself, four moderately from shrapnel packed into the explosive device and the remainder in moderate to light condition.
The 31 injured were taken to Hadassah Ein Kerem, Hadassah Mount Scopus, Bikur Holim and Shaare Tzedek hospitals. All hospitals in the area were opened to receive casualties. One woman, 59, died from injuries sustained in the blast.
Police said that this was the first terrorist attack in four years that involved an explosion. At the moment, police were looking for one specific person who left the bag that contained the bomb.
There were reports that witnesses were able to identify the man who left the bag and police were searching for him.
Police suspected that an explosive device inside a bag was left at the bus stop, which then exploded. Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch said that the explosive device was between one and two kilograms and was packed with shrapnel.
Yishai: We must take action after escalation in south and Jerusalem
Interior Minister Eli Yishai called for Israel to act after the bombing in Jerusalem and the rocket attacks in the south.
“I see the escalation is already here in a number of fronts – in the south and also in Jerusalem,” Yishai said, while visiting the scene of the explosion.
He added that “recent events require us to take action. If we don’t do this we will lose our power of deterrence.”
Authorities said that there was no connection between the attack and events in the Gaza Strip in recent days. However, they suspected a connection between this attack and one several weeks, in which an explosive device was left on the side of a main road near Gilo.
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said his main concern is that this could happen anywhere. He called the incident a “cowardly terrorist attack.” Barkat added that he believes in the police’s capability to catch the perpetrator. He added that in 99 percent of cases, the terrorists are found.
The mayor added that he will still participate in the Jerusalem Marathon scheduled to take place on Friday. Most importantly, he said, is to return to your normal lives so that the terrorists don’t think they can win.
Large numbers of police and ambulance forces were on the scene.
Roads surrounding the scene were closed to traffic and authorities were searching the area for additional explosive devices and for a suspect. Police raised the alert level in the capital, following the explosion.
Police were beginning to reopen Highway 1 following the attack.
The Jerusalem Police has two phone numbers for information: 02-5314600 or 106
such terrible things are happening ad mosai hashem!
for oldelia nechama b-s michal
Please say Tehilim for shilo b-n ofra, leah brocha b-s shoshan basya, and shaindel b-s raizel
We have to finally listen to the wise advice that violence is notthe answer. It only leads into those animals killing more of us. When the rebbe would hear of situations like to
His He wouldnt tell us to use violence He would say to capture the people who did it. Ad masai we need Moshiach
THIS IS THE RESULTS FOR NOT SHOWING THESE MURDERERS THAT WE CHERISH EVERY SINGLE LIFE ANF FOR THE FIVE PRECIOUS LIVES OF THE FOGEL FAMILY ISRAEL SHOULD HAVE BOMBED THEM. THEN THEY WOULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD THAT YOU DON’T MESS WITH JEWISH LIVES! INSTEAD THE BIG MAN NATANYAHU PROMISED TO BUILD ANOTHER FEW MATCHBOX HOUSES THAT HE COULD LATER DECIDE TO EVICT THE PEOPLE FROM!!!! THE WORLD HATES US BUT LAUGHS AT US.
if you want to understand that this will never change and the arabs have been this way for years and will continue to do so …….Read the book The Haj, by Leon Uris.. even the goyim know that the arabs by nature are terrorists
WE WANT MOSHIACH NOW!!!!
Isreali leaders have to act like leaders. Real leaders do all what it takes to protect their people no matter what the world tsays or thinks of them.
Our leaders have to uderstand that language of force have to be answered with greater force. Period.
We have to learn to stop appologising for our existence here and everywhere else ion the world. It doesn’t matter what the world thinks or how they distort the truth.
In the modern era of communication our leaders fail to understand that the Arabs speak the language of force, they won’t stop until you make them.