A terrorist killed a 12-year-old boy and wounded others in a shooting at a civilian bus near the Al-Khader Junction in Gush Etzion in the West Bank.
The murdered boy was identified as Yehoshua Aharon Tuvya Simcha, the son of a prominent rabbi who manages a yeshivah in nearby Beitar Illit.
“Heartbreaking news tonight from Israel: A shooting terror attack on a bus near Jerusalem leaves three wounded and a young boy killed,” the Israeli embassy in Washington stated. “May his memory be a blessing.”
“May Hashem avenge his death,” said Marc Zell, the chairman of Republicans Overseas Israel.
Several Israelis were being treated after a terrorist shot at a civilian bus, the Israel Defense Forces stated in Hebrew early on Thursday. It added that security forces were pursuing the terrorist and that it deployed roadblocks near Bethlehem.
The terrorist surrendered to security forces on Thursday morning following a pursuit, the IDF, Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and Israel Police announced in a joint statement.
The suspect opened fire on the bus traveling on Route 60 from Beitar Illit to Jerusalem. The bus continued to the Tunnel Checkpoint, where it stopped so the injured could receive medical treatment.
The Magen David Adom emergency medical service said that it responded to the shooting and that its paramedics “treated and evacuated two injured to Hadassah [Medical Center in Jerusalem’s] Ein Kerem: a 12-year-old child in serious condition and a 40-year-old woman in mild condition.”
“We found a 12-year-old with gunshot wounds, treated him and evacuated him to Hadassah,” said Elhai Sofer, a Magen David Adom paramedic, and Yaakov Greenwald, a senior EMT. “A 40-year-old woman in moderate condition was evacuated to Shaare Zedek [Medical Center in Jerusalem].”
According to MDA, two others with mild wounds from shattered glass were also treated.
Palestinian reports identified the attacker as Azz Muhammad Salameh. It was also reported that he tried to turn himself in to the Palestinian Authority but was turned away.
“Regrettably, the death of the child who was critically injured in the deadly shooting attack on a bus traveling from our city to Jerusalem has been confirmed,” the Beitar Illit Municipality said.
“The family, Jerusalem residents, was returning from a family celebration when they were caught in the terrorist’s gunfire directed at the bus. The attacker fired 23 bullets before fleeing the scene. In addition to the deceased child, a woman from Jerusalem was moderately injured, and two others sustained mild injuries,” the municipality continued.
Three Breslov Chassids were shot and sustained minor injuries while traveling to pray at the Joseph’s Tomb compound on the southeastern outskirts of Nablus late Tuesday night.
Separately, a 21-year-old man was lightly wounded in a suspected vehicular assault in Bnei Brak, a city east of Tel Aviv, on Tuesday evening.