Survivors described panic and chaos Monday morning after terrorists opened fire at a bus stop at Jerusalem’s Ramot Junction, killing four men and a woman. Witnesses recounted hiding, fleeing and desperate attempts to survive as the attackers fired indiscriminately.
“I hid under a car. I lay on the ground,” said Malka Cohen, who survived the attack. She said she had been at the back of the bus stop. “They waited for us to get off. I went in the other direction and survived,” she said.
The first moments of the shooting.
Magen David Adom paramedic Fadi Dakidak, who arrived at the scene, said, “The sights were horrific. It’s been a very difficult morning.” The two terrorists were killed by a security forces member and an armed civilian at the scene. According to Palestinian reports, the attackers were residents of a village near Ramallah.
Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene of gunfire and frantic attempts to escape. Video and photographs from the scene show the aftermath of the attack, including damaged vehicles and shattered glass.
Elazar Toldano, who was at the junction, said, “I got off the bus about a minute before the attack. I was sitting at the station when I heard a long burst of gunfire. Suddenly, everyone was running. There was a lot of chaos. I called the police but no one answered. They called back five minutes later. I didn’t see the terrorists.”
People running in panic at the sound of gunfire
Following the attack, border crossings around Jerusalem were closed, preventing entry to or exit from Israel through the area. IDF Central Command, along with the police and Shin Bet, launched an investigation into the attack and the identities of the terrorists.
“When we arrived at the scene, there was panic everywhere,” Dakidak said. “People were running in all directions and shouting. We provided initial medical treatment to all the wounded and evacuated them to hospitals.” His colleague Nadav Taieb added, “People were lying unconscious on the sides of the road and sidewalks. There was widespread destruction and broken glass.”
Eli Beer, president of United Hatzalah, said, “It’s another difficult morning for residents of Jerusalem and all of Israel. This happened just 150 meters from my home. We hope those we treated survive.”