In a suspected coordinated terror attack, three buses exploded this evening in separate parking lots in Bat Yam and Holon on Thursday night, leaving authorities scrambling to track down possible suspects. Police confirmed that the explosions, which occurred after drivers had completed their routes, involved empty buses and resulted in no casualties.
The first explosion was reported at 8:30 p.m. in a bus parking lot near the stadium in Bat Yam. Shortly after, a second explosion rocked another parking lot just 400 meters away. Later in the evening, a bus in a parking lot near Wolfson Hospital in Holon—approximately 4 kilometers from the Bat Yam locations—went up in flames. The Bat Yam Municipality described the timing as “miraculous,” noting that the buses had arrived just moments before the blasts.
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Investigators suspect that the explosions were the result of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). In addition to the three explosions, authorities discovered at least two unexploded bombs on buses parked at Yimit 2000 and near the Wolfson Junction in the Dan Bloc. Initial inquiries considered a criminal motive, but police have since stated that terrorism is the primary focus of the investigation.
Large police forces, including bomb disposal experts and Shin Bet, have been deployed to the scene. Commissioner Danny Halevi and Bat Yam Mayor Zvika Brut were seen at the scene as searches for additional suspects and suspicious objects continue. A recording was sent to bus drivers urging them to stop at the nearest stops and scan their vehicles for suspicious bags, as a precaution.