Israeli policemen patrol a street in the Arab east Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabel Mukaber following clashes in Jerusalem September 18, 2015. FILE IMAGE: Reuters
Late on April 7, two people were killed and more than ten others were wounded as a result of a shooting attack in the heart of the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.
The shooting took place on Dizengoff Street that was crowded with people spending the night at local bars, restaurants and cafes. The street and nearby areas experienced a state of complete chaos after the attack, with Israeli security forces moving from building to another in search for the gunman.
Heavy police forces seen in Tel Aviv during a manhunt for the gunman who wounded at least six on Dizengoff. pic.twitter.com/5OFkXkQMor
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 7, 2022
Police say hundreds of officers are searching the area following the deadly shooting attack pic.twitter.com/aW83gQapj4
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 7, 2022
The dead were two men, Tomer Morad and Eytam Magini, both aged 27. Four of the wounded, including one woman, remain in a serious condition.
Video circulating online allegedly shows the gunman passing the bar in Tel Aviv before committing a shooting attack there. pic.twitter.com/CCSPZKtgYi
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 7, 2022
A third video shows the suspect sitting down on a bench near the bar shortly before the attack. pic.twitter.com/QjQNsO2UD0
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 7, 2022
The suspected gunman was shot dead by police near a mosque in Jaffa early on April 8 after a massive manhunt. He was identified as Ra’ad Hazem, 29, a Palestinian from the Jenin refugee camp.
Israel’s security agency, Shin Bet, said that Hazem had no apparent links to any terrorist group, or prior arrests. He was illegally in Israel at the time of attack.
In the wake of the deadly attack, Defense Minister Benny Gantz vowed that Israel will exact a “heavy price” from what he called “terrorists”.
“We will expand our operations against the terror wave,” Gantz said, according to The Times of Israel.
The shooting attack was praised by several Palestinian factions, including the Hamas Movements and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Lebanon’s Hezbollah also released a statement, welcoming the attack and calling for more support for Palestinians.
This was the fourth deadly attack in Israel in less than a month. On March 22, four Israelis were killed in a stabbing attack in Be’er Sheva. Five days later, two border police officers were killed in a shooting attack in Hadera. On March 30, two Israelis, two Ukrainian nationals, and a police officer were killed in a shooting attack in Bnei Brak.
The attack will ultimately lead to more tensions in the Palestinian West Bank, where Israel will likely tighten security measures.
