Car bomb hits crime figure and son in Jerusalem

The scene in Armon Hanatziv this morning (Photo: Courtesy of photographer)

A car bomb detonated in Jerusalem's Armon Hanatziv neighborhood Tuesday morning, critically wounding a known crime figure and his teenage son as they drove to school.

The explosion occurred around 8:15 a.m. on Meir Feinstein Street when an explosive device attached to the vehicle detonated. The target was Itzik Bar Mocha, 58, who was driving his 13-year-old son to school at the time of the blast.

Large forces of police, medical teams and firefighters rushed to the scene, where they found the vehicle engulfed in flames. Magen David Adom and United Hatzalah paramedics provided emergency treatment to both victims before evacuating them in intensive care ambulances to Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center.

Bar Mocha, described as being around 50 years old in initial reports, suffered severe injuries to his lower limbs and is listed in critical condition. His son, 13, sustained multi-system trauma and burns and is listed in moderate to critical condition.

United Hatzalah reported: "Medical teams are providing emergency care at the scene to two wounded individuals, a man around 40 and a child around 13, both critically injured. The two were evacuated for further medical treatment at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center."

Chaki Har Kesef, a Magen David Adom emergency medical responder who treated the victims, recounted: "We received multiple reports of a vehicle explosion and arrived quickly with large forces of intensive care ambulances and immediate response vehicles and motorcycles. We saw the vehicle in flames with shrapnel scattered around it.

Forces at the scene this morning (Photo: United Hatzalah)

Scene of the explosion in Jerusalem (Photo: Israel Police spokesperson)

"Nearby were a man around 50 and a youth around 13, both conscious and suffering from burns and injuries to their bodies. We provided them with medical treatment and evacuated them in MDA intensive care ambulances to the hospital while continuing medical care."

Deputy Superintendent David Drai, investigations officer of Oz station (Photo: Israel Police spokesperson)

Israel Police stated: "Around 8:15 this morning, the police hotline received a report of a vehicle explosion on Meir Feinstein Street in Jerusalem. Medical teams evacuated two critically wounded individuals from the scene, a man around 57 and a minor around 13.

"Investigators from Oz station and police bomb disposal experts from the Jerusalem District arrived quickly at the scene and began collecting evidence and findings, which raised the suspicion that this was an explosion caused by an explosive device. Jerusalem District Commander Chief Superintendent Avshalom Peled held a special situation assessment at the scene, during which he received an extensive briefing from investigators and the bomb disposal officer regarding the criminal background of the incident and how the explosion occurred. He then ordered the investigation be assigned to the district's central unit and allocated all resources to collecting evidence and identifying the suspects."