Jerusalem Car Bomb Injures Crime Figure and His Son

A car bomb exploded in Jerusalem's Armon Hanatziv neighborhood on the morning of October 6, injuring prominent criminal figure Itsik Bar-Moha and his 13-year-old son. The blast, believed to have been caused by an explosive device placed under the vehicle, occurred as Bar-Moha was driving his son to school. The explosion was powerful enough to shake the walls of a nearby home, with one resident stating it was more intense than rocket fire.

Bar-Moha, described by Israeli media as a leader of the "Jerusalem gang," and his son were conscious after the explosion. Paramedics provided initial treatment before transporting them to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. Bar-Moha's condition was initially listed as serious, and his son's as moderate, but hospital doctors later classified the boy's condition as serious as well.

Police have cordoned off the scene and are investigating the incident, with the primary motive believed to be criminal. Explosives experts and forensic teams are collecting evidence. Bar-Moha has a long history with law enforcement and is linked to organized crime in Jerusalem. He was previously a suspect in a 2016 assassination attempt on another crime figure, Simo Malki, whose car was also targeted with a bomb. Bar-Moha has also been arrested in subsequent years on suspicion of involvement in other attempted murders.