White House condemns terrorist attacks in Jerusalem, mourns loss of life

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Jerusalem surveillance video shows moment explosion rocked bus stop

Two explosions went off at two bus stops in Jerusalem Wednesday, killing at least 1 and injuring 14.

The White House condemned "unequivocally" the terrorist bombings in Jerusalem Wednesday morning that killed a 16-year-old and injured more than a dozen.

"The United States has offered all appropriate assistance to the Government of Israel as it investigates the attack and works to bring the perpetrators to justice," the White House said in a statement from press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. 

"We mourn the reported loss of life and wish a speedy recovery to the injured. The United States stands with the Government and people of Israel. As President Biden emphasized during his visit to Israel in July, our commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad and unbreakable," the statement continues.

Two bombs went off Wednesday morning at bus stops during rush hour in Jerusalem in what police say is the first bombing attack on Israeli citizens in six years. Police suspect the explosions came from remotely detonated explosive devices left in bags filled with nails. 

EXPLOSIONS AT JERUSALEM BUS STOPS LEAVE TEEN DEAD, AT LEAST 14 INJURED

Israeli police inspect the scene of an explosion at a bus stop in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

The 16-year-old victim, identified as Aryeh Shechopek, was living in Jerusalem as a dual citizen of Israel and Canada. Hundreds attended his funeral Wednesday. 

The attack comes amid a tense political environment for Israel, where former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is attempting to form a majority government after being voted out and possibly back into the nation’s most powerful position. 

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Members of Zaka Rescue and Recovery team clean blood from the scene of an explosion at a bus stop in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

Prime Minister Yair Lapid promised the terrorists will be captured. 

"We will get to them," Lapid said. "They can run away, they can hide, it won’t help them. The security forces will get to them. If they resist, they will be killed. If not, we will deal with them with the full severity of the law."

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Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with President Biden at the White House in October. (Israeli Government Press Office/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with President Biden in October at the White House, where they discussed how to strengthen their alliance to maintain Israel’s security. Herzog presented Biden with the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor in Jerusalem in July.