At least four people were killed and several others wounded when gunmen opened fire at a busy junction on the north-western outskirts of Jerusalem on Monday morning, Israeli emergency services and police said.
Magen David Adom, Israel's national ambulance service, identified the dead as one man in his 50s and three men in their 30s. The service said five people with gunshot wounds were taken to local hospitals and that several others suffered injuries from broken glass. Police said the attackers were "neutralised" at the scene.
Police said the incident occurred at Ramot Junction on Yigal Yadin Street, a major intersection at the northern entrance to the city. Authorities received first reports at about 10:13 a.m. local time (0713 GMT), according to emergency service statements. Israeli media and footage from the scene showed crowds fleeing from a bus stop and a bus that appears to have been struck by gunfire.
Preliminary accounts from local outlets and officials indicated that two assailants boarded a bus and opened fire on passengers using automatic weapons. Channel 12 television reported that a soldier on board or nearby shot at the gunmen. Police said the two attackers were neutralised; they did not provide further details on how they were stopped or whether any security personnel were among the dead or wounded.
Paramedics described a chaotic scene with people lying on sidewalks and roadways and broken glass across the area. Magen David Adom said it initially received reports of roughly 15 injured, though later updates specified five gunshot victims taken to hospital and additional people hurt by debris. Local media reported that blood supplies were rushed from the national blood bank in Ramla to meet urgent needs.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility from any Palestinian militant group, and Israeli authorities gave no public attribution for the attack in their initial briefings. The shooting comes amid an extended period of heightened violence linked to the war in Gaza, which officials and analysts say has coincided with a rise in attacks inside Israel and the occupied West Bank, as well as increased settler-Palestinian confrontations.
The most deadly recent mass shooting prior to Monday occurred in October 2024, when two Palestinians from the West Bank opened fire in the Tel Aviv area, killing seven people. Hamas's military wing later claimed responsibility for that attack.
Israeli police and emergency services remained at the scene to treat the wounded and examine evidence. Officials said investigations were under way to determine the attackers' identities, motives and any wider links. More details, including the names of the wounded and the exact sequence of events, were expected as authorities completed forensic work and questioned witnesses.