A 6-year-old boy and a man in his 20s were killed when a vehicle slammed into a crowd at a bus stop.
By JNS
A 6-year-old boy and a man in his 20s were killed in a car-ramming attack in the Ramot neighborhood of Jerusalem on Friday.
Four others were injured, including another child critically. The wounded were taken to the Shaare Zedek and Hadassah Mount Scopus Medical Centers in the Israeli capital.
Police said that the terrorist was fatally shot and a large force was dispatched to the scene.
The attacker was identified as 31-year-old Arab Israeli Hussein Karaka from the Issawiya neighborhood in eastern Jerusalem.
“When we arrived at the scene, the sight was shocking. We saw a car near the bus stop after it hit pedestrians who were waiting,” said Magen David Adom paramedic Shraga Rosenthal. “We saw six victims lying next to each other; among them, two children about six years old who were unconscious with severe multi-system injuries. A man about 27 years old and a man about 30 years old were unconscious, and two more victims were fully conscious with injuries to their limbs.
“We gave them initial medical treatment and performed CPR on both children. This is a very serious incident,” added Shraga.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the reinforcement of security forces in the area and directed authorities to arrest potential suspects associated with the perpetrator.
He also decided to take immediate action to seal and demolish the home of the terrorist.
“I am extending condolences on behalf of all the citizens of Israel to the families of those murdered in the attack in Jerusalem. Our answer to terrorism is to strike it with all our might and further deepen our hold on our country,” said Netanyahu.
“We all pray for the injured,” he added.
בשם כל אזרחי ישראל אני שולח תנחומים למשפחות הנרצחים בפיגוע בירושלים. קיימתי הערכת מצב ביטחונית והנחיתי לתגבר כוחות, לבצע מעצרים ולפעול מייד לאיטום בית המחבל והריסתו. כולנו מתפללים לשלום הפצועים >>
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) February 10, 2023
President Isaac Herzog similarly wrote on Twitter: “Just before Shabbat, our hearts are pained by the terrible news of a despicable terrorist who took the lives of a little boy and a young man in a car-ramming attack in Jerusalem. Together with the People of Israel I grieve with the families & pray for the recovery of the injured.”
Just before Shabbat, our hearts are pained by the terrible news of a despicable terrorist who took the lives of a little boy and a young man in a car-ramming attack in Jerusalem. Together with the People of Israel I grieve with the families & pray for the recovery of the injured.
— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) February 10, 2023
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the scene of the attack, where he reiterated a call for the Knesset to pass legislation applying the death penalty to terrorists.
He added that he had instructed police to set up checkpoints around Issawiya and to “stop each vehicle, to check each car. Enough with the approach that ‘if we do something we’ll make them angry.’ There are terrorist attacks now,” said Ben-Gvir.
Terror run-over attack in Jerusalem: A short time ago a car ramming terror attack took place at a bus station in the Ramot intersection. Multiple people injured, including children (5,6 years old). The suspect was neutralized and large police forces were called to the scene
— Israel Police (@israelpolice) February 10, 2023
The attack comes after seven people were killed and several others injured in a Jan. 27 terrorist shooting at a synagogue in Jerusalem’s Neve Ya’akov neighborhood.