5 Americans Injured In Jerusalem Bus Shooting

Topline

At least five Americans were injured in a shooting on a bus near the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Sunday just a week after Israel and Palestinian militants agreed on a ceasefire after days of fighting in the Gaza Strip.

Key Facts

Police said that at about 1:30 a.m. on Sunday a “terrorist armed with weapons shot at a bus and vehicles in a parking lot near the Old City of Jerusalem,” injuring eight people altogether.

Israeli media reported that four of the American victims were members of the same family, according to CNN, which said five Americans are being treated at hospitals in Jerusalem.

Emergency services said two of the victims are in serious condition, according to CNN, including a pregnant woman who was forced to undergo an emergency caesarean operation, Shaare Zedek hospital told the outlet.

The suspect, who is a resident of Jerusalem and has a criminal record, turned himself in later Sunday morning and is being questioned by police, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said.

No Palestinian group has taken responsibility for the attack.

Tangent

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Sunday that a family of New Yorkers was affected by the Jerusalem attack, and said that the she and the state “condemn terror and stand with the Israeli people as they seek peace.”

Key Background

Last week, Israel and the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad announced a truce after three days of fighting in the Gaza Strip killed more than 40 Palestinians, including children, local officials said. It was the most deadly incident to take place in Gaza in more than a year. Islamic Jihad is the second-largest Palestinian militant group in Gaza after Hamas, which controls the territory.