A truck crashed into a bus stop near Tel Aviv, injuring at least 35 people in an incident that local authorities are investigating as a possible terrorist attack. The crash occurred in Ramat Hasharon, near the Glilot area northeast of Tel Aviv, as people were returning to work after a week-long holiday. The bus stop is located near an army base and the headquarters of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.
Some victims were trapped under the truck. The truck driver, who allegedly exited the vehicle with a knife, was shot and killed by civilians, according to Tazpit Press Service (TPS). Police sources told TPS that the driver was a resident of the Israeli-Arab town of Qalansawe.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad praised the suspected attack but did not claim responsibility, according to the Associated Press. TPS reported that many of the injured were elderly retirees who were traveling to a museum. At least one victim sustained life-threatening injuries, according to TPS.
Several army intelligence units, which have been targeted by missile strikes from the .
, meanwhile, said Israeli strikes on the country over the weekend “should not be exaggerated nor downplayed,” while stopping short of calling for retaliation, suggesting Iran is carefully weighing its response to the attack.
On Saturday, Israeli warplanes attacked military targets in Iran in response to an Iranian ballistic missile attack earlier this month.
Israeli Prime Minister said Sunday that the strikes “severely harmed” Iran and achieved all of Israel’s goals.
“The air force struck throughout Iran. We severely harmed Iran’s defense capabilities and its ability to produce missiles that are aimed toward us,” Netanyahu said in his first public comments on the strikes.