At least two people were killed and six others wounded, two seriously, when a gunman opened fire at a crowded Tel Aviv bar on Friday afternoon before escaping on foot.
The gunman was believed to be a 29-year-old Israeli Arab from the north of the country, identified as an Islamist sympathiser. The man’s father called the police after identifying his son on CCTV footage aired on Israeli television stations.
The gunman had served time in an Israeli jail but, according to a relative, was “not of sound mind”.
The CCTV footage showed the assailant, wearing goggles, appearing to select something to eat at a natural food store next door to the bar on Tel Aviv’s popular Dizengoff street, busy with shoppers just a few hours before the start of the Jewish Sabbath. The man then calmly placed his small backpack on a shopping trolley, pulled out a semi-automatic rifle, walked out of the shop and opened fire indiscriminately into the bar. Separate CCTV footage showed patrons hurriedly scrambling while the gunman emptied his magazine.
A Koran was found in the man’s backpack.
Police, including members of the elite anti-terror squad, spent hours searching the nearby streets, but, in contrast to almost all similar attacks in Israel, the assailant remained at large hours after the attack. Police carried out door-to-door searches and forcibly entered apartments where there was no answer.
The shooting followed more than three months of almost daily Palestinian stabbings and car rammings against Israeli civilians and soldiers in Israel and the West Bank, although Tel Aviv had been largely untouched.
Professional manner
However, this attack was different. The gunman was extremely calm and acted methodically, in a professional manner. He also managed to escape from the scene, whereas most Palestinian assailants are invariably killed or caught within minutes.
Police urged Tel Aviv residents to continue with their daily routine after the assailant reportedly discarded his rifle while fleeing the scene.
Noah, an eyewitness, was in a cafe next door. “We dropped to the floor and I remember the smile on his face,” she said. “He shot once again toward the cafe. It seemed that his gun jammed. Suddenly, he fled and people began running after him.”
Avi, another eyewitness, said he heard about 10 shots. “I was next to one of the cafes. I saw people running in the street and wounded sprawled on the street.”
The Israel Security Agency Shin Bet said they had received no warnings of an impending terrorist attack.
Tel Aviv mayor Ron Huldai arrived at the scene and urged residents to remain alert.
“Terrorism attempts to frighten us and disrupt our lives. I urge everyone to take a deep breath, relax, and we will take care of this.”