‘I used to wonder if I would have the courage to respond if I ever encountered a terrorist attack.’
By Hezy Laing
During the deadly shooting attack at Ramot Junction in Jerusalem today, two Arab terrorists opened fire on civilians exiting a bus at a bus stop, killing six and injuring at least fifteen.
The attackers were armed with improvised “Carlo” submachine guns, commonly used in previous assaults. The terrorists opened fire at a Line 62 bus which was standing in a traffic jam, and at a bus stop full of people.
The terrorists were neutralized on the spot by two Haredi (ultra-orthodox) individuals: a young Haredi civilian who was legally armed and an IDF squad commander from the new Hashmonaim Haredi Brigade.
Both responded swiftly, firing at the attackers and stopping the massacre in progress. Their coordinated action prevented further casualties and was praised by emergency services and police on site.
The civilian (identified only as Hanoch) described the event to Enon Magal of Channel 14 television)
“I was waiting at the bus stop for the bus, and suddenly I heard a single gunshot, and my mind refused to believe that it was an attack, and immediately afterwards there was a burst of gunfire and dozens of people (I’m not exaggerating, the station was packed with people) running towards me screaming.
I looked for the terrorists among those running. But because I didn’t recognize them, I pulled out my weapon and ran to the road while carefully moving forward and examining the people running.
After hearing more shots behind the bus that hid the attackers from me, I rushed to engage them and found myself facing two terrorists who were carrying out a kill verification on the injured people lying on the floor.
I shot at them, which probably saved the lives of some of the wounded who were lying on the ground next to terrorists, because instead of finishing them off they returned fire at me. We just stood facing each other shooting.
After a few seconds I jumped into the bus to take cover because I saw that they had long weapons and I only had one cartridge of bullets.
While I in the bus, I realized that they had decided to escape so I exited the vehicle and went to go back to the back of the bus where the other guy joined me and we chased them.
I am proud of what I did. I used to wonder if I would have the courage to respond if I ever encountered a terrorist attack.”
The man’s brother-in-law told Kol Barama Radio: “My brother-in-law was on his way to the yeshiva, he has a gun he inherited from his grandfather, and he received the license thanks to [National Security Minister Itamar] Ben Gvir’s reform. He emptied the entire magazine on the terrorists.” The civilian hero is 36 years old, and married with four children.
While the names of the Haredi responders have not yet been publicly released, their actions have drawn widespread admiration across Israeli society. The incident highlights the growing presence of armed and trained civilians, including members of the Haredi community, who have taken on more active roles in national defense amid rising terror threats.
This event marks one of the most serious shooting attacks in Jerusalem since 2023, and the bravery of these two men—especially the Haredi civilian—has become a symbol of unity and resilience in the face of terror.
