Israel shaken by series of bomb blasts on buses, police say – terrorist attacks

There have been reports of multiple bus explosions in central Israel, one after the other. Police have described it as a possible terrorist attack. No one was injured in the incident, but additional explosives were found in two other buses. Authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant.

“Initial reports indicate that this appears to be a suspected terrorist attack. Several explosions have been reported on buses at various locations in Bat Yam,” police said in a statement. The incident occurred as Hamas returned the bodies of four Israeli hostages from Gaza.

The bus bombings have brought back memories of the Palestinian uprising in the 2000s. Such incidents have been rare in recent times. According to Channel 13 TV, police spokesman ASI Aharoni said explosives were also found in two other buses. Officials said all five bombs had similarities, including timing devices. Bomb disposal teams were defusing the explosives.

Bomb disposal teams have completed their work after conducting extensive searches of buses and trains in Israel. Police forces were searching in Bat Yam for suspects. Police spokesman Haim Sargroff told Israeli TV that investigations are being conducted to determine whether one person planted explosives on several buses or whether multiple criminals were involved.

Bat Yam Mayor Tzivka Brot said it was fortunate that no one was injured because the buses were empty and parked in the parking lot. He said bomb disposal teams were working on another explosive device in Holon. Sargroff acknowledged similarities between the explosives and those found in the West Bank but gave no further details.

Since the October 7 Hamas attack, Israeli forces have carried out repeated operations against suspected Palestinian terrorists in the West Bank and imposed strict restrictions on the entry of Palestinians from the occupied territories. Since the Gaza ceasefire began on January 19, Israel has intensified its military operations against Palestinian terrorists in the West Bank.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to call a security meeting after a series of bus bombings in central Israel. Netanyahu is receiving regular updates on the bombings from his military secretary.