Terror at Ramot Junction: Seven Killed, Dozens Wounded in Jerusalem Bus Shooting

By: Fern Sidman

Jerusalem was shaken on Monday morning by one of the deadliest terrorist assaults in recent memory. Two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at the bustling Ramot Junction, killing seven people and injuring at least 12 others, many critically. The brazen attack, which targeted a commuter bus and a crowded hitchhiking stop, unfolded during the height of rush hour, throwing one of the capital’s busiest thoroughfares into chaos and terror.

According to a report on Monday at Israel National News, the assault was carried out with automatic weapons, likely Carlo submachine guns manufactured in Judea and Samaria. Witnesses described the attackers boarding a Line 62 bus caught in traffic and firing directly at passengers’ heads, before turning their weapons on people waiting at a nearby bus stop. Within seconds, the area was transformed into a scene of shattered glass, bleeding victims, and desperate cries for help.

The timing amplified the devastation. With commuters filling buses and sidewalks, the attackers struck when vulnerability was at its peak.

Emergency responders described the carnage in vivid detail. Avi Swissa, a United Hatzalah EMT, recounted: “I was driving at the junction and I heard gunfire. This is a very serious scene. Some of the injured are unconscious. Large numbers of United Hatzalah forces are acting at the scene to provide initial medical aid to the injured.”

Magen David Adom paramedic Nadav Tayeb added: “When we got there, we saw people lying on the road unconscious, near the sidewalk and a bus stop. There was widespread destruction at the scene, shattered glass on the ground, and great commotion. We began providing medical treatment to the injured, and we are continuing at this time to treat the wounded and evacuate them to hospitals.”

His colleague, Fadi Dekaidek, described arriving to find casualties strewn across the ground: “We immediately began triaging the injured and providing medical treatment to several casualties with varying degrees of injury, including those in serious and critical condition. The wounded were lying on the road and sidewalk near a bus stop, some of them unconscious. We continue to evacuate the injured to hospitals quickly while providing life-saving medical care.”

The chaos also created gridlock for emergency vehicles, forcing some ambulances to approach the junction on foot with stretchers. Despite the confusion, medical teams managed to stabilize many victims on-site before evacuating them to hospitals across Jerusalem.

By late morning, hospitals confirmed they had admitted 12 people from the attack. Seven were in serious condition: two women in their 50s, another woman aged 35, and four men aged 26, 50, 63, and 70. Two more were moderately wounded, while three suffered lighter injuries from broken glass. Several additional victims were treated for shock.

Tragically, seven lives were cut short, including three victims in their 30s and another man in his 50s.

The report indicated that Levi Yitzhak Pash, Yaakov Pinto, and Yisrael Matsner were named as three of the seven who were gunned down.

The Kol Torah Yeshiva in Jerusalem announced early Monday afternoon that yeshiva employee and maintenance man Levi Yitzhak Pash was one of those killed in a Ramot Junction terror attack.

In a statement, the yeshiva said that Pash “did many good deeds, gave of his money, and often occupied himself with learning Torah.” The statement also added that Pash was well-known in the Bayit Vegan neighborhood of Jerusalem as a dedicated person who was always involved in acts of kindness.

His funeral will leave from the yeshiva later on Monday. Pinto, 25, is a recent immigrant from Spain. Matsner, 28, lived in Jerusalem.

Israel National News reported that among the wounded was Rabbi Yaakov Sharabani, a leader at the Maor Torah yeshiva and son-in-law of its dean, Rabbi Avraham Salim. He sustained light injuries and was hospitalized in stable condition. Community leaders have asked for prayers on his behalf, under the name Yaakov Haim ben Tamar Ibon.

Veteran haredi journalist Menachem Kolodetsky also appealed to the public to pray for his cousin, Tova Gittel bat Miriam Shoshana, a Ramot resident injured in the attack. She is eight months pregnant with her first child. The fact that among the wounded were both Torah scholars and expectant mothers highlighted the indiscriminate nature of the terrorists’ fire, aimed squarely at ordinary civilians going about their daily lives.

The terrorists’ rampage could have been even more catastrophic were it not for the intervention of two armed Israelis: a haredi yeshiva student and a haredi IDF officer.

As Israel National News reported, one of the gunmen was brought down by a haredi yeshiva student, who had been on his way to class when the attack began. Carrying a firearm inherited from his grandfather and licensed under reforms championed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, he emptied his magazine into the attackers. His brother-in-law later told Kol Barama Radio: “He was on his way to yeshiva. He has a gun he inherited from his grandfather, and thanks to Ben Gvir’s reform, he had the license. He emptied the entire magazine on the terrorists.”

He was joined by an IDF squad commander from the haredi Hashmonaim Brigade, who also engaged the attackers and ensured they could not continue their massacre. Together, they neutralized both terrorists within minutes of the first shots.

Eyewitnesses suggested that the attackers may have had a driver assisting them, though this remains unconfirmed and under investigation.

Their rapid response has drawn widespread praise across Israel, highlighting once again the role that armed civilians and soldiers often play in preventing even greater bloodshed during terrorist attacks. Officials and community leaders have already called for the two to be formally honored for their valor.

Following the attack, large numbers of IDF and police forces poured into the area. Roads leading into Ramot Junction were sealed off as security services searched for additional suspects.

The IDF confirmed the attackers came from a village near Ramallah. In response, troops surrounded four nearby Palestinian villages—Qatanna, Biddu, Beit ‘Anan, and Bayt Duqu—to prevent further infiltration and to track down possible collaborators.

“Following the shooting attack at Ramot junction earlier today, IDF soldiers were dispatched to the area and are searching the area for suspects in cooperation with the Israel Police,” the IDF stated. “Simultaneously, IDF soldiers are currently encircling several areas on the outskirts of Ramallah to thwart terrorism and strengthen the defense effort.”

Israel Police added: “Following the shooting, the access roads to the scene have been closed off. Large numbers of police officers under the command of the district commander are at the scene of the incident.”

Ramot Junction, situated at a key entry point into northern Jerusalem, is one of the busiest intersections in the city. Its constant flow of buses and commuters made it an ideal target for terrorists seeking to maximize casualties and spread fear.

The report at Israel National News emphasized that the use of Carlo submachine guns, cheaply produced in makeshift workshops across Judea and Samaria, points to the persistent challenge of arms proliferation in Palestinian territories. Despite ongoing raids and confiscations, such weapons continue to circulate widely among militant cells.

The attack has plunged Jerusalem into mourning while reigniting national debates over security. For many Israelis, it is another bitter reminder that terror can strike at the heart of their daily routines—waiting for a bus, heading to work, or walking to school.

Yet the swift actions of the haredi soldier and yeshiva student also embodied the resilience and readiness that Israelis have come to rely on. Armed citizens, often in the right place at the right time, have repeatedly prevented massacres from spiraling further. Their bravery has been lauded across the country, with many calling for them to be formally recognized for valor.

At hospitals across Jerusalem, volunteers lined up to donate blood, while synagogues held prayer services for the wounded. The funerals for the six victims are expected to draw thousands, as the city once again faces the grim ritual of burying innocents lost to terror. In the streets of Ramot itself, candles and makeshift memorials already line the sidewalks where blood was spilled, as neighbors gather to comfort one another in grief and solidarity.

Monday’s carnage at Ramot Junction has left a deep scar on Jerusalem. Seven families are grieving, dozens more are anxiously awaiting updates from hospital beds, and an entire city is on edge. Yet even amid the horror, the actions of two armed defenders prevented an even greater catastrophe, highlighting the importance of vigilance in the face of relentless threats.

As Israel National News stressed in its coverage, the attack calls attention to not only the tactical challenges of securing Jerusalem but also the human cost borne daily by its residents. Israel’s leaders now face urgent questions: how to stem the tide of weapons flowing from the territories, how to protect public spaces, and how to balance security with the rhythms of civilian life.

For now, Jerusalem mourns — but it also endures, steeling itself for the struggles that remai