Three buses exploded in central Israel on Thursday in what authorities are calling a “suspected terror attack.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded swiftly, ordering an “intense military operation” in the West Bank to root out terrorist networks responsible for the attack.
Israeli police confirmed that three explosive devices detonated, while two additional bombs failed to go off.
The buses, located in a parking lot in Bat Yam and Holon, south of Tel Aviv, were not in service at the time, miraculously preventing mass casualties, according to The Time.
However, intelligence suggests the terrorists had intended for the bombs to detonate on Friday when the buses would have been packed with passengers.
Each device was equipped with a timer, and one bore a message in both Hebrew and Arabic: “Revenge from Tulkarem,” a reference to a recent Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Tulkarem, according to the Times of Israel.
Hellbound and Down 