Jerusalem bus bombed

Less than two weeks after the horrific murder of a Jewish family in Itamar, attacks against Israel are escalating, with rockets from Gaza shelling Beersheva, and a deadly bus bombing outside the Binyanei Ha’Uma convention center in Jerusalem on March 23.

A bag left at the bus station exploded, leaving 39 passengers and bystanders injured and one woman dead. "I see the escalation is already here in a number of fronts - in the south and also in Jerusalem," Interior Minister Eli Yishai said during a visit to the attack site. In the south of Israel, two rockets fired from Gaza hit Beersheva, with additional bombings in the Shaar Hanegev and Eshkol areas. No deaths were reported as of press time.

Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks, but Israel blamed Hamas, which controls Gaza. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu asserted that, like the Itamar stabbings, the ongoing incitement against Israel continues to inspire individual and coordinated attacks. “Israel has no intention of bringing about a deterioration of the situation, but at the same time, the IDF will continue to act decisively to protect Israeli citizens,” Netanyahu expressed in a statement.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat praised the police for preventing “99 percent” of terrorist attacks and encouraged Jerusalemites to resume their daily routines. Barkat vowed to run in the Jerusalem Marathon this Friday.

“It’s very hard right now to think of the response,” said Israeli Consulate spokesman Joel Lion. “The Palestinians are not negotiating. The rocket attacks, the Iranian arms shipments, it shows a return to violence, and the citizens are being targeted.”