JERUSALEM (VINnews) — An 18-year-old man was killed and several others were injured during a large ultra-Orthodox protest against military conscription in Jerusalem after a bus struck demonstrators — an incident police say occurred outside the authorized protest zone and followed an assault on the driver.

Israeli police said Wednesday that the bus driver called the emergency police hotline minutes before the collision, reporting that he was under attack. The driver repeated that account during questioning, investigators said.

According to police, the incident did not take place in the area of the demonstration that had been formally coordinated with authorities and closed to traffic. Instead, it unfolded at a nearby intersection that remained open to vehicles.

A police source said a group of youths created disturbances in the area and harassed motorists. The chain of events began on Yirmiyahu Street, where protesters blocked a bus. As the driver attempted to leave the scene, one of the youths clung to the vehicle, police said.

The bus then turned left at the Shmgar Junction and right onto Ohel Yehoshua Street, where it came to a stop. Emergency crews later pulled the teenager from beneath the bus, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Three other people, including a minor, were taken to hospital with moderate injuries.

Political reaction intensifies

The incident occurred as thousands of ultra-Orthodox men gathered in northern Jerusalem to oppose government efforts to expand military conscription to yeshiva students — a move that has fueled weeks of unrest in Haredi neighborhoods.

Knesset member Meir Porush of the United Torah Judaism party said he was “deeply shaken” by the incident and warned of what he described as a dangerous public climate.

“There is a growing sense that it is permissible to harm ultra-Orthodox protesters,” Porush said. “The incitement against the Haredi public is creating fear among Jews in the State of Israel. This must stop.”

He urged political leaders to condemn violence and inflammatory rhetoric directed at the ultra-Orthodox community.

Deepening divisions

The rally was organized by senior rabbis and backed by hard-line factions that have repeatedly staged protests against ending long-standing draft exemptions. Speakers at the protest framed compulsory service as an existential threat to religious life, while critics argue the current system unfairly burdens Israelis who serve.

Flyers and banners throughout ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods in recent days denounced the proposed draft legislation as a “decree of destruction.”

Political leaders across Israel’s spectrum condemned the deadly outcome. Ultra-Orthodox parties demanded a full investigation, while government ministers and opposition figures urged restraint, saying no policy dispute justifies violence or loss of life.

The protest comes amid mounting pressure on the government to reform enlistment rules following court decisions that weakened decades-old exemptions for religious students. In recent weeks, clashes have erupted outside draft offices and during street demonstrations as tensions continue to rise.

Police said the investigation into the crash — including the actions of protesters and the driver — is ongoing.

A bus crashed into a crowd of ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters in Israel.
According to media reports, during a protest against the IDF draft in Jerusalem, buses struck a crowd of protesters. Several people were injured, and a 13-year-old boy is in critical condition.
On Shamgar… pic.twitter.com/rK7vPuDiKu
— lone wolf (@MApodogan) January 6, 2026

תיעוד מזעזע: אוטובוס דורס מפגינים נגד הגיוס בירושלים pic.twitter.com/eqjtMJLE61
— רגע NEWS (@reganews_israel) January 6, 2026

Bus rams into demonstrators (Warning: Graphic footage, viewer discretion advised)

Rescue attempts after the accident

Jooish News

Jooish News