More than a dozen injured in suspected attack in Jerusalem

At least 14 people, most of them Israeli soldiers, were reported injured after a vehicle ran into them in Jerusalem early on Thursday morning in what emergency services said was a suspected car-ramming attack on a popular nightclub.

Israel‘s Magen David Adom emergency services said a 20-year-old was in a serious condition after the incident on David Remez Street at approximately 1:45am (11:45 GMT) and was being taken to Shaare Zedek Medical Centre.

Another 20-year-old was taken to Hadassah hospital for moderate injuries to his limbs, Magen David Adom said. The remaining 12 people were taken to hospital with slight injuries, it added.

A military spokesperson said the soldiers were touring the city, where they had come to be sworn in after basic training.

Another military spokesperson told AFP news agency that the army was aware of a possible attack perpetrated by someone driving a vehicle in the area and would have more information later on Thursday.

According to police, the driver fled the scene after the suspected attack, and a manhunt was under way.

Gaza-based Palestinian group Hamas hailed Thursday’s attack as a “practical response” to US President Donald Trump‘s Middle East plan.

In a statement, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the attack was part of “resistance” operations, including a series of demonstrations in the occupied West Bank, but he stopped short of claiming responsibility.

“The resistance acts throughout the West Bank – the clashes between our people from the far south of the West Bank to the north, and the resistance operation in the heart of occupied Jerusalem – are a practical response by our people to Trump’s announcement of the liquidation deal,” Qassem said.

There was no immediate indication as to the reason for the possible attack, but it comes amid simmering tension after the release of Trump’s controversial plan.

The Palestinians have roundly rejected the proposal, which offers them limited self-rule in scattered chunks of territory with a capital on the outskirts of Jerusalem, while allowing Israel to annex large parts of the West Bank.