5 People Killed in Jerusalem Shooting Attack

Five people were killed and at least 12 others wounded, including seven in serious condition, when gunmen opened fire in Jerusalem on Sept. 8, according to Israel’s ambulance service.

Police described the shooters as “terrorists” and confirmed that they were killed, although the motive and number of assailants have not yet been clarified.
Paramedics said a man in his 50s and three men in their 30s were pronounced dead at the scene, while a woman evacuated in critical condition to Shaare Zedek Medical Center was later declared dead.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding an emergency assessment with the heads of Israel’s security establishment in the wake of the attack.

The casualties include seven people in serious condition with gunshot wounds, two in moderate condition, and three lightly injured by glass fragments, according to Israel’s ambulance service, Magen David Adom.

Victims were evacuated to Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek, Hadassah Ein Kerem, and Hadassah Mount Scopus hospitals. Magen David Adom said it supplied roughly 60 units of blood and blood components to support life-saving treatment for the injured.

Security forces were deployed in large numbers to the area following the attack.

The Israeli military said sirens were sounded in southern Israel twice on Sept. 8 following the infiltration of a hostile aircraft.

The Hamas terrorist group, which carried out the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and resulted in 251 abductions, hailed the latest assault without claiming responsibility, calling it a “natural response to the occupation’s crimes” against its people.

The war in the Gaza Strip has fueled violence in the West Bank and Israel. Palestinians have killed Israelis in shootings and other assaults, while Israeli settler violence against Palestinians has also increased.

A mass shooting took place in Israel on Oct. 1, 2024, when two Palestinians from Hebron opened fire in Tel Aviv’s Jaffa district, killing seven civilians and wounding 17. One attacker was shot by a civilian and the other was killed by security forces, according to Israeli officials.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry described the attack in Jerusalem as “shocking and tragic news” in a statement posted on X.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, speaking at a joint news conference with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Sept. 8, said the attack was a “dark reminder” of the danger that Israel faces.

He urged world leaders to recognize the threat posed to Israel and speak out against it.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said he was “horrified” by the deadly attack in Jerusalem. He offered condolences to the families of the victims and said the United States “stands with Israel against this savagery.”

French President Emmanuel Macron, writing on X, said France “strongly condemns the terrorist attack” and extended condolences to the victims’ families and the Israeli people.

“The spiral of violence must come to an end,” Macron said. “Only a political solution will bring back peace and stability for all in the region.”

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric described the scenes from Jerusalem’s Ramot Junction as “horrific.”

In a post on X, he expressed condolences to the victims’ families, wished a swift recovery to the wounded, and said Serbia “strongly condemns any act of violence,” noting that “violence and terror have no place in the modern world.”

Palestinian Statehood Push

Sa’ar called on world leaders to take a stand with Israel against jihadist groups and rejected international efforts to push for recognition of a Palestinian state, saying the Palestinian Authority supports and rewards terrorism and does not deserve statehood.

“We are in a war with radical Islamist terrorism,” he said. “Europe and the international community, every country, must now make a clear choice. Are they on Israel’s side, or are they on the side of the jihadists?”

Sa’ar criticized a French-led initiative to advance Palestinian statehood as destabilizing and accused the country of incentivizing Hamas to prolong the war. He warned that granting statehood without conditions would harm future peace efforts.

France, the UK, Canada, Belgium, and Australia, among other nations, have announced their intentions to recognize a Palestinian state, a move condemned by Israel.

The Palestinian Authority considers the West Bank, which Israel conquered in 1967 during the Six-Day War, and the Gaza Strip to be its territory. It considers East Jerusalem to be its capital.

The United States, which recognized Jerusalem as the Israeli capital in December 2017, says a Palestinian state cannot be set up without Israel’s agreement.

Sa’ar said Israel was ready to end the Gaza war under two conditions: Hamas must return all hostages and lay down its arms.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sept. 7 suggested that a Gaza deal to secure the release of all of the hostages held by Hamas could come soon, after earlier issuing what he called his “last warning” to the group.

Sa’ar said Israel had accepted Trump’s proposal but said some European leaders were pressing for an unconditional end to the fighting without offering practical solutions for disarming Hamas.