One killed, three hurt as bus strikes demonstrators at Jerusalem anti-draft protest

A teenage boy was killed, and three others were injured on January 6 when a bus driver drove into a protest held by ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem, according to Israel’s emergency services, cited by foreign media.

The incident took place during a mass demonstration against military conscription, attended by roughly 15,000 ultra-Orthodox men opposed to proposed legislation that would require them to complete compulsory service.

Magen David Adom reported that an 18-year-old was found dead beneath the bus. Three additional individuals were transported to a hospital with injuries.

Israel’s state-owned broadcaster Kan reported that the bus driver was taken into custody at the scene.

Since Israel’s establishment, full-time students in religious seminaries, or yeshivas, have been exempt from mandatory service, although some ultra-Orthodox men do enlist. These exemptions — strongly supported by ultra-Orthodox parties that play a pivotal role in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition — have become increasingly contentious amid the ongoing war in Gaza.

In June, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that the long-standing blanket exemptions were unconstitutional. In response, the government has introduced a new draft law that would preserve exemptions for full-time religious students and for men aged 26 and older, while gradually increasing annual recruitment of ultra-Orthodox men starting in 2027 and establishing penalties for draft evasion.

By Tamilla Hasanova