TEL AVIV – Israeli emergency services are treating dozens of injured after a truck crashed into a bus as it was getting off passengers at a bus stop near the Glilot military camp north of Tel Aviv on Sunday morning.
A spokesperson for the Israeli police said that the initial investigation revealed that the truck collided with the passengers as well as the bus.
Residents at the scene “shot the truck driver and knocked him out,” Israeli police said.
A 72-year-old man was rushed to Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center following the incident. His condition worsened and he died from his injuries, the hospital confirmed to NBC News.
The circumstances of the accident are still under investigation, and Israeli police have not indicated whether they consider the incident to be a terrorist attack or a traffic accident.
However, Hamas claims responsibility for the attack, saying it was a “natural response” to Israel’s actions “in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem.”
A video compiled by NBC News shows the immediate aftermath and the rescue operation, narrated in Hebrew by a woman who said she was on the overturned bus.
“We were in the Haim Hertzog area, a truck came with a force, and hit us,” he said. We managed to escape, there are some of our people who are trapped, elderly people who are trapped.” In this video, several people were seen pinned under the truck, while others were responding to rescuers.
“You don’t understand what’s going on here,” she said. “God, God, I can’t watch this.”
Ronit Glazer, of Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency services, described the chaotic scene in a video posted by X, as responders received a call of a “mass casualty incident” near Glilot Junction.
MDA EMTs and paramedics treated and evacuated 10 injured people from Beilinson and Ichilov hospitals. Of the injured: 4 are in critical condition, 2 are in moderate condition, and 4 are in mild condition. MDA teams are also treating several other injured at the site. Updates to follow. pic.twitter.com/nGGv5Q3AcN
— Magen David Adom (@Mdais) October 27, 2024
He said the MDA sent “care centers, ambulances, motorcycles, paramedics, paramedics and EMTs” to the scene.
MDA EMTs and paramedics provided treatment and evacuated the injured to nearby hospitals. It said 35 people were injured, including 6 in critical condition, 5 in moderate condition and 20 in serious condition. Four suffer from anxiety.
United Hatzalah, which works for emergency services, said “a large number of pedestrians” were involved, and said people were still trapped under the truck 30 minutes after the incident.
In another incident later on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces said “a terrorist drove his car towards IDF soldiers who were conducting counter-terrorism operations” in the village of Hizma, in the Israeli-controlled West Bank.
It says that the man took out a knife from his car and “tried to stab him,” but he was killed by the soldiers. No IDF casualties were reported.
This is a developing story, please check back for updates. Yarden Segev reported from Tel Aviv. Freddie Clayton and Matteo Moschella reported from London.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com