Israeli officials vow to catch Jerusalem terrorists

“They can run, they can hide — it won’t help them,” outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Israeli officials vowed to catch the terrorists responsible for a pair of bombings in Jerusalem that killed one person and injured more than 20 others.

“They can run, they can hide — it won’t help them,” outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement. “We will punish them to the fullest extent of the law.”

A pair of bombs blew up within minutes of each other at bus stops near the entrance to Jerusalem. One detonated near the Central Bus Station, the other at a bus stop by the Ramot Junction known by locals as the “Trempiada.” Police are investigating this as a coordinated terror attack.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi cut short a visit to the U.S. after being briefed on the situation.

Hundreds of people came to pay their last respects to Aryeh Schupak, a 16-year-old Canadian yeshiva student who was killed while waiting for a ride.

Meanwhile, 24 victims were treated for injuries at Hadassah’s hospitals in Ein Kerem and Mt. Scopus while six were taken to the Shaarei Zedek Medical Center. One victim — an Ethiopian immigrant in his 40s — is fighting for his life.

“He is suffering from a very serious head injury, and his life is in immediate danger,” said the director of Shaarei Zedek’s trauma unit, Dr. Alon Shortz.

The familyhas asked the public to pray for Tedsa ben Mada.

Police continued scouring the area around the Jerusalem’s western entrance for additional bombs and searching for the terrorists. Security was beefed up in public areas and the public was urged to remain vigilant.

“We call on the public in Jerusalem and in general, to maintain a full life routine,” a police statement said. “In addition, one must be alert for suspicious objects, suspicious people or any unusual occurrence that requires police treatment and intervention and report it as soon as possible to the police’s 100 hotline.”

The statement also stressed that public gatherings were still secure. The bombing occurred on the day Israel’s Ethiopian community marked the holiday of Sigd. A public event held later in the afternoon went on as scheduled.

American and European Union officials issued statements condemning the terror attack. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad praised the bombing without claiming responsibility.