A terror attack at the Ramot Junction in Jerusalem on Monday claimed the lives of six people, with preliminary investigations revealing that the two terrorists, Muthana Amro and Mohammed Taha, infiltrated Israel through a breach in the West Bank border fence, likely around northern Jerusalem.
The assailants, residents of the Palestinian villages of Qatanna and Al-Qubeiba near Ramallah, carried out the attack that prompted a swift response from security forces. By midday, police arrested a suspect from East Jerusalem, whose involvement is under investigation, while Palestinian sources reported that the IDF detained Amro’s father.
The attack was compounded by significant delays in emergency response due to massive traffic jams, caused by a morning pileup involving about ten vehicles, likely triggered by an oil slick. Eight people sustained minor injuries in the crash but the resulting gridlock hindered rescue efforts, with complaints that police failed to deploy traffic officers to the area even three hours later.
Following the attack, IDF forces rushed to the scene, launching searches for additional suspects and imposing a lockdown on villages near Ramallah, from where the terrorists originated. Palestinian reports indicated that shops and schools in northwestern Jerusalem villages closed amid fears of Israeli raids.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir held an urgent situation assessment with high command and military Intelligence officials. Zamir ordered a continued focus on combat operations in Gaza while reinforcing the West Bank with additional forces to bolster defense and prevention efforts.
He also mandated sealing off the attackers’ villages and postponed a planned ceremony honoring outstanding IDF personnel.