WILL WAR RESUME? 4 Killed, 5 Wounded in Hamas Attack in Jerusalem During Truce
Kate Anderson /
Hamas gunmen attacked and killed three Israelis at a bus stop in Jerusalem on Thursday just after Israel agreed to an extended temporary truce in Gaza, the BBC reported. A fourth person died later.
Israel and Hamas negotiated to extend a cease-fire one more day, to a seventh day, in order to allow the release of more hostages taken by the terrorist organization during the Oct. 7 massacre of 1,200 civilians in southern Israel, according to the BBC.
Just hours later, Hamas operatives began shooting at a bus stop in Jerusalem, killing three and wounding or injuring others before off-duty Israeli soldiers and a civilian took them down, according to reports.
[Early reports put the number of wounded as high as 16, but The Times of Israel later reported that a total of five were wounded. The two Hamas gunmen were killed. The Times also reported that one of those killed was an armed civilian mistaken for a terrorist and shot by off-duty Israeli soldiers after he fired at the Hamas operatives.]
Hamas claimed the operatives on social media, arguing that the attack was in response to other “crimes” committed by Israel during the cease-fire, according to the BBC. Videos show the men getting out of their car on a busy street and immediately gunning down anyone in sight as others flee.
Israeli police reported that there were large amounts of ammunition in the car that the terrorists arrived in, according to the BBC.
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WATCH: 2 terrorists open fire at a Jerusalem bus stop Thursday morning, killing 3 and wounding 6 others pic.twitter.com/52sqeWs0H2
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke Thursday morning with Israeli President Isaac Herzog after the Jerusalem shooting and said it was a reminder of the “threat from terrorism” that Israel lives under every day, according to a readout of the conversation from the State Department.
“And as you said, we’re reminded yet again by the events in Jerusalem today of the threat from terrorism that Israel and Israelis face every single day,” Blinken said to Herzog. “And like you, my heart goes out to the victims of this attack. I believe one person lost life … maybe as many as three. We’re thinking of them; we’re thinking of their families, their loved ones. And we mourn their loss just as we mourn the loss of any innocent life.”
On Tuesday, Israel accused Hamas of breaking the cease-fire by firing at Israel Defense Forces troops and setting off explosives. The IDF said that the soldiers were operating in areas in line with the parameters set by the cease-fire agreement.
Hamas, however, argued that Israel had fired shots to break the agreement and that its operatives had responded to a “clear violation” of the cease-fire in northern Gaza.
Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation, this article has been updated with later details on the number of dead and wounded.
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