Special forces at site of Hatzanchanim Street attack
Special forces at site of Hatzanchanim Street attackYonatan Sindel/Flash 90

Interior Minister Aryeh Deri (Shas) and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat held a meeting on Wednesday in which they decided to establish a "war room" in the Jerusalem municipality building, located just northwest of the Old City.

Deri and Barkat are to work together with additional government ministries to establish the war room, which is to monitor the situation and help prevent hostile terrorist activities, such as the attack this morning in the capital.

In that attack, two armed Arab terrorists first opened fire on an Egged bus at Ramot Junction near the northern Ramot neighborhood, before fleeing the scene and shooting at cars near the Damascus Gate on Hatzanchanim Street - which ironically is located not far from the municipality building.

At Hatzanchanim Street the terrorists mistakenly hit an Arab victim instead of a Jew. They shot and seriously wounded an Arab resident of eastern Jerusalem before they themselves were shot and neutralized, with one terrorist dying of his wounds.

"Particularly in these days, it is our highest obligation to act to preserve the security of residents of the city," said Deri on Wednesday.

"The war room is an important step and we will continue to act to obtain security and quiet in the city," he added.

A poll on Tuesday found that 73% of Israeli citizens are not satisfied with the performance of the government in handling the current Arab terror wave, which has been plaguing the Jewish state since last September.

Aside from the Jerusalem attacks on Wednesday, two stabbing attempts were later thwarted in Samaria. The attacks follow a bloody Tuesday, in which no fewer than three high level attacks were conducted, with police estimating US Vice President Joe Biden's visit which began the same day was likely a catalyst.

The attacks Tuesday occurred in Petah Tikva, where a man was moderately wounded but managed to fight back and kill his Arab attacker, Jerusalem, where two officers were shot and seriously wounded, and Yafo, where a mass casualty stabbing took place as 12 victims were wounded and American tourist Taylor Allen Force was murdered.