Five Americans and three others were injured when a gunman opened fire on a bus of people in Jerusalem early Sunday morning, according to officials.
Police said the attack occurred at 1:30 a.m. local time, when “terrorist armed with weapons shot at a bus and vehicles in a parking lot near the Old City of Jerusalem,” according to CNN.
Three victims are in serious condition, including a pregnant woman and her baby, which had to be delivered via emergency cesarean section, according to officials.
“Last night, a terrorist shot at a bus in Jerusalem wounding 8 people, including a pregnant 30 year old woman and a 60 year old man who are in critical care,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Twitter. “We pray for their full recovery. This attack on Israel’s capital, a city sacred to all three religions, must be condemned.”
Last night, a terrorist shot at a bus in Jerusalem wounding 8 people, including a pregnant 30 year old woman and a 60 year old man who are in critical care. We pray for their full recovery.
This attack on Israel’s capital, a city sacred to all three religions, must be condemned. pic.twitter.com/1XAYZBVSe9
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) August 14, 2022
The U.S. State Department also released a statement, noting at least five U.S. citizens were injured in the attack.
“The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack outside the Old City of Jerusalem that wounded at least eight victims, including at least five U.S. citizens. We wish all the victims a speedy recovery. We remain in close contact with our Israeli partners and stand firmly with them in the face of this attack,” said State Department spokesman Ned Price.
“Our Ambassador to Israel and U.S. officials in Jerusalem are in touch with the families of the U.S. citizen victims, to whom we have offered our sympathies and support,” Price added. “The U.S. Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas. Our team in Jerusalem has been working around the clock to support the victims and their families, and will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
The bus attack took place near the Western Wall in Jerusalem, one of Judaism’s holiest sites, per authorities. The bus driver, Daniel Kanievsky, told Israel’s Kan radio about the harrowing experience.
“We opened the ramp for someone on a wheelchair, and then the shooting started,” he said, according to the BBC. “Everyone got down on the floor, screaming. I tried to escape, but the bus couldn’t drive with the ramp open.”
Israeli media identified the suspect as Amir Sidawi, 26, of East Jerusalem, who fled the scene but later turned himself in at a police station, according to the Guardian. He was apparently worried about the effect his actions would have on his family, as his mother and two other family members were arrested after the attack. Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid told his Cabinet that they believe the suspect acted alone and was already known to Israeli police.
Hamas praised the shooting as a “heroic operation,” according to the Guardian, though the group did not claim responsibility.
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Nineteen civilians have been killed in attacks since March, mostly Israeli citizens inside Israel, AFP reported, along with three Israeli Arab attackers. In resulting raids in the West Bank, more than 50 Palestinians have been killed, including children and civilians.
