A woman died and at least 25 others were injured in a bomb blast near the central bus station in Jerusalem. All the wounded were evacuated to hospitals in the city. Four of them are in serious condition.
The bomb, consisting of one kilogram of explosives and concealed in a bag, exploded at the passage of a bus that was heading towards the Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim in the West Bank, according to AFP. Several witnesses said they saw a man drop the bag and run away. The attack has not yet been claimed.
"The bus station is next to a Orthodox neighborhood of the capital.It is a hotspot of the city, it is very crowded, especially early afternoon, shows Gallagher Fenwick, FRANCE 24's correspondent in Jerusalem. The people who perpetrated this attack have undoubtedly tried to reach as many people as possible. "
"This attack has literally shaken the city and the entire country, said the journalist. The mayor of Jerusalem asked the inhabitants of Jerusalem to resume their activities to" show the terrorists they have not won. "In the vicinity of site, people are shocked but not really surprised. "
The Israeli authorities sealed off the area.Police established a cordon around the bus and launched a search with dogs to find explosives that could be still hidden in the area.
Outbreak of violence between Israel and Gaza
The attack comes at a particularly tense between Israel and the Palestinian territories. Since Saturday, about fifty rockets were launched from Gaza into southern Israel. The Israeli army responded Tuesday and Wednesday, killing eight Palestinians, including two minors, two civilians and four Islamic Jihad fighters.
"In response, Islamic Jihad promised to touch the heart of Israel, said Gauthier Rybinski, a specialist in international political FRANCE 24.But it is too early to attribute the attack to this group.
"We will take precautions to try to prevent this crime from perpetuating itself once again in Jerusalem, for his part said Avi Pazner, spokesman for the Israeli government, on the antenna FRANCE 24 .
The heart of Jerusalem had not been touched by terrorism for several years. The latest attack began at 6 March 2008, when a Palestinian attacked a center of West Jerusalem yeshiva, killing eight people.
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