4 people killed, 6 injured in car bombing in central Israel, amid violent crime wave

City's mayor calls on National Security Minister Ben Gvir to 'drop everything and come'

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Ten people were injured in a car explosion apparently caused by a grenade in the city of Ramle in central Israel on Thursday afternoon. Four of them succumbed to their wounds and were pronounced dead at the hospital.

Israel Police has opened an investigation into the explosion, which may be related to wars between Arab criminal gangs.

A woman and her two-month-old baby were rescued by fire and rescue services from a shop that caught fire due to the explosion. A 15-year-old girl was also knocked unconscious by the blast.

Ramle has recently seen a significant spike in criminal violence, including two people murdered in shooting attacks on Wednesday night. Police are unsure if there is any connection between the shootings last night and the car bombing today.

Police forces said Central District Commander Lt.-Gen. Avi Bitton arrived at the scene to assess the situation.

Scene of a car explosion apparently caused by a grenade in the city of Ramle in central Israel, Sept. 12, 2024 (Photo: Screenshot from a video released by Magen David Adom)

A spokesperson for the Israel Fire Brigade told Ynet News: "At the scene of the car explosion in Ramle, there was a trapped person and two shops were burning. At the moment, a two-month-old baby and his mother were rescued from one of the burning shops and transferred to medical officials for further treatment. A 15-year-old girl was knocked unconscious. A total of five people were rescued from the shops – all were unconscious. The Ayalon station commander is at the scene of the incident.”

The car bombing marks the second week of significant criminal violence in the city, which has registered a number of murders and violent incidents this year.

Hani al-Afifi, a 40-year-old Israeli-Arab, was shot dead on Wednesday night. He was evacuated by MDA to Assaf Harofeh Hospital in Be'er Yaakov in critical condition, where he was later pronounced dead.

Just a few hours later, police discovered the murder of Tani Abu Dia (40), a 40-year-old Israeli Arab woman, who had been shot and was found dead in a vehicle in an open area.

Last Thursday, Mahmoud Ali Abu Ghanem was killed in a car explosion near a kindergarten in Ramle's city center. Footage showed Abu Ghanem's car driving down the street, slowing down to turn right before exploding. The incident was determined to be a criminal assassination.

Five days earlier, Duaa Abu Zeid, a young Israeli-Arab woman in her 20s, was killed during a shooting on Masada Street in Ramle.

After the explosion last week, Ramle Mayor Michael Vidal called on National Security Minister Itamar Ben Givr to do something about the rising tide of criminal violence.

“I call on Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to drop everything and come here,” Vidal said. “A car exploded near a kindergarten – this is a public safety emergency. We demand security now.”