Two people were killed by a bomb blast in a money changer's shop in the crowded business district of Tel Aviv today in what police believe was an attack on one of the country's underworld figures rather than a terrorist act.
A dozen people were injured by the lunchtime blast. The attack shook a nation already on edge over daily warnings about planned suicide bombings by Palestinian militants.
The blast went off as a suspected criminal boss, Zeev Rosenstein, entered the money changer's shop, witnesses said. Rosenstein's lawyer also confirmed his client was present at the scene, and was wounded.
"We're treating it less as a terrorist attack and more as a criminal attack," said Israeli police spokesman Gil Kleiman. "It means that instead of looking for Palestinians, we'll be looking for Israelis."
It was initially thought three people has lost their lives but police revised the death toll to two.