An Egged company bus was heavily damaged late Saturday after it was pelted by stones and firebombs at predominantly Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
In a statement, the police said the driver took a short cut on his route and mistakenly entered the Isawiya neighborhood, where he was attacked by local residents who threw stones at the bus as well as a firebomb that caused a large fire inside the vehicle.
There were no passengers on the bus at the time except for the driver and his family, who were in the vehicle with him. They fled the scene on foot and reported the incident to police forces nearby.
The fire on the bus was extinguished before police forces arrived at the scene.
Footage of the Egged bus on fire in East Jerusalem after being hit by Molotov cocktail
During the search of the area that police conducted after the incident, three residents of the neighborhood, including two minors, were detained and taken for questioning.
The Egged company, which owns the bus that was attacked, said it was "cooperating with the investigation."
The Union of Bus Drivers called on legislators to recognize bus drivers as public servants and protect their security and that of their passengers.
"The day a bus driver could be murdered, is closer than ever," the union said.
The union explained that public busses were considered symbols of government and are therefore seen as targets for rioters in Palestinian areas.