Two assailants killed at least three people and wounded multiple others in a shooting attack Wednesday night at central Tel Aviv's popular Sarona complex.
Police confirmed that two attackers were arrested and one was shot and wounded. Footage from the scene showed an armed civilian firing shots at one of the suspected perpetrators.
According to unconfirmed reports, two assailants had worn disguises and sat at a cafe in Sarona before opening fire.
Ten wounded people were evacuated to the nearby Ichilov Medical Center. The hospital later pronounced the deaths of three people, and said one other causality was in life-threatening condition, while five others were in serious condition and three were in moderate-to-light condition.
Likud MK Amir Ohana, who arrived at the scene of the attack, said that the perpetrators of the attack were two Palestinians from the South Hebron Hills.
"We need to see who sent the terrorists and to find them," Ohana told reporters on the scene.
An eyewitness named Ofer told Army Radio that a flock of people fled the area during the incident and chaos ensued.
A large contingency of police officers were in the area distancing bystanders from the scene. Police later ruled out the possibility of additional perpetrators involved in the attack. Police said the investigation is ongoing and they have no details about the identities of the attackers.
The attack is the first shooting attack in Tel Aviv since New Year’s Day, when Israeli Arab Nashat Milhem opened fire at a Dizengoff bar, killing two before murdering a cab driver.
Following the shooting, the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality issued a statement urging the public to stay away from the scene.
After the attack, the Defense Ministry called for an emergency assessment meeting, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to attend shortly after he returned from a trip to Russia.
Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai was defiant following Wednesday night's shooting attack at the Sarona shopping complex.
Huldai told the media at the scene of the incident that Tel Aviv has been a target for terrorists for years, but the city would not be stopped by such attacks.
"We will continue to create, to build and to go out in this city," Huldai said.
The mayor cautioned, however, that the investigation into the incident was ongoing and residents should heed the calls of authorities to avoid arriving at the scene of the attack.
An eyewitness named Ofer told Army Radio that a flock of people fled the area during the incident and chaos ensued.
A large contingency of police officers were in the area distancing bystanders from the scene. Police later ruled out the possibility of additional perpetrators involved in the attack. Police said the investigation is ongoing and they have no details about the identities of the attackers.
The attack is the first shooting attack in Tel Aviv since New Year’s Day, when Israeli Arab Nashat Milhem opened fire at a Dizengoff bar, killing two before murdering a cab driver.
Following the shooting, the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality issued a statement urging the public to stay away from the scene.
After the attack, the Defense Ministry called for an emergency assessment meeting, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to attend shortly after he returned from a trip to Russia.
Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai was defiant following Wednesday night's shooting attack at the Sarona shopping complex.
Huldai told the media at the scene of the incident that Tel Aviv has been a target for terrorists for years, but the city would not be stopped by such attacks.
"We will continue to create, to build and to go out in this city," Huldai said.
The mayor cautioned, however, that the investigation into the incident was ongoing and residents should heed the calls of authorities to avoid arriving at the scene of the attack.
By Ben Hartman
Editor's note: This article has been edited from the original.
