Jerusalem was put on high alert Monday after what police are investigating as a suspected ramming attack that left two young men lightly injured just moments before the start of the Passover holiday.
Video: The scene of the attack in Jerusalem /Credit:Usage under Israeli Intellectual Property Law Section 27a
According to initial reports, the incident occurred in Jerusalem's Romema neighborhood near a synagogue. A vehicle struck two pedestrians at separate locations on Techelet Mordechai and Yirmiyahu streets around the time many were burning leavened bread products ahead of the Passover festival. Eyewitnesses stated that after hitting the pedestrians, two assailants fled the scene on foot. An improvised "Carlo" type weapon was later discovered along their suspected escape route, though police believe a malfunction prevented the suspects from using it before discarding it. The two, who were caught about an hour later, apparently tried to engage in a mass shooting after the incident but were unable to due to their gun being jammed.
"We were near the area and arrived within a minute," Magend David Adom emergency responder Yitzhak Har Kesef Daniel Levi recounted. "We saw an 18-year-old youth with a head injury walking at the scene. He was very distraught."
Video: The terrorists from Sunday's attack being apprehended April 22, 2024 / Credit: Usage under Israeli intellectual property law Section 27a
"People told us that while he was burning chametz, a vehicle struck him at the entrance to a parking lot between buildings," Levi added. "We provided medical treatment and evacuated him to the hospital in light-to-moderate condition."
MDA paramedic Nadav Arazri said he was dispatched to Yirmiyahu Street near the initial incident. "We saw a conscious 22-year-old youth walking around. He told us that while they were burning chametz at the entrance to a parking lot between buildings on Techelet Mordechai Street, a vehicle suddenly sped towards them at high speed."
Large numbers of police and border police forces under the command of the Jerusalem District chief descended on the area in an attempt to locate the suspected assailants. The Israel Police had made preparations for potential holiday attacks across the country, particularly in the Jerusalem region.
The suspected ramming attack came just hours before the start of Passover when Jews worldwide commemorate the biblical Exodus and freedom from slavery. The weeklong festival began Monday night with the traditional Seder meal.
