An explosion rocked the Ramla market on Thursday, leaving four people dead, including two children, and several other injuries.
Firefighters rescued a mother and infant, an unconscious teenager and two others from burning stores. Police said the explosion likely had criminal motives.
Twelve victims were taken to Shamir and Kaplan medical centers, at least five of them in critical condition. The Shamir Medical Center later reported that two children—a girl aged 5 and a boy aged 10, a 15-year-old girl and a woman in her 50s had succumbed to their injuries, while others, including a one-month-old infant who remains in critical condition, were hospitalized.
Ramla Police promptly opened an investigation into the blast, which came just a day after two people were murdered in separate incidents in the city. Police sappers inspected the remains of the vehicle, while evidence was sent for forensic analysis. It is unclear if the explosion was caused by a grenade, a Molotov cocktail or a technical malfunction.
Firefighting officials reported rescuing five unconscious individuals from the burning shops. Deputy Fire Chief Oz Cohen, who led the response, explained that the fire had spread from a car to nearby shops, trapping victims inside. "The blaze and smoke turned the store into a death trap," Cohen said.
MDA confirmed that five people were transported to Shamir Medical Center, including a 1-month-old infant, a 5-year-old girl, a 10-year-old boy, a 15-year-old girl and a woman in her 50s, all in critical condition with burns and smoke inhalation injuries. The hospital declared a mass casualty incident.
MDA paramedic Liat Cohen described the chaotic scene. “The first teams arrived and began treating moderately and lightly injured victims with shrapnel wounds. Firefighters later rescued five unconscious individuals, all suffering from smoke inhalation."
One witness, 10-year-old Ariel from Ramla, described the scene. "There were huge clouds of smoke. We ran off the bus when the doors opened and saw many injured people."
The explosion followed a string of violent incidents in Ramla. Earlier this week, 40-year-old Hani Alafifi was shot and killed, followed by the murder of 40-year-old Tani Abu Dia, whose body was found in a car. Last week, Mahmoud Ali Abu Ghanem was killed in a car explosion near a kindergarten, and five days earlier, 20-year-old Doaa Abu Zeid was fatally shot.
Ramla Mayor Michael Vidal, addressing the violence, called on National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for immediate action, comparing the car bomb to a terror attack. "A car exploded near a kindergarten—this is a public safety emergency. We demand security now."