Bus Bombing Shocks Jerusalem as Passover Approaches

21 people were wounded in a terror attack on a bus in Jerusalem’s Talpiot neighborhood Monday evening. Initial reports indicated uncertainty if it was an accident or the result of a bomb but police later confirmed that they had uncovered evidence of a bomb. “We will find whoever prepared and dispatched the explosives, as well as those who helped them,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We will settle accounts with these terrorists.”

IDF forces discovered a terror tunnel leading from the Hamas-occupied Gaza Strip into Israeli territory on Monday. The discovery allowed for the tunnel to be destroyed, ending the threat it posed to Israeli civilians and sending a message to Hamas and other terrorist organizations that Israel is able to counter the threat posed by tunnels.

Yosef Haim Ben David was convicted in Jerusalem District Court on Tuesday morning of his participation in the kidnapping and murder of Arab teenager Muhammad Abu Khdeir on July 2, 2014. Two unnamed minors had previously been convicted of their roles in the crime, which was classified as an act of terrorism by security officials and which the perpetrators all said was an act of revenge for Palestinian terrorist attacks against Jewish Israelis.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien became the latest international leader to ignore efforts to Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) Israel Monday when he arrived in the Jewish State for an official visit, the first even by a leader of his country. He warmly greeted Israelis and expressed his gratitude for the many years of mutually beneficial cooperation which has benefitted both countries.

Opposition factions in Syria declared negotiations with the Assad regime being held in Geneva under the auspices of the UN to be over Monday, launching a new offensive against regime forces in several areas. Fighting between various factions and the Islamic State (IS) and Al-Nusra Front terror militias, which had never stopped, was also intensified. Meanwhile, reports out of Iraq indicate that the US is deploying additional ground forces to battle IS in that country.