At least two people were killed and eight wounded, some critically, when one or more gunmen opened fire on Tel Aviv’s bustling Dizengoff Street, which is typically packed with people at restaurants and bars on weekday evenings.
Officials were asking residents to stay at home and lock their doors as police fanned out through the area in search of the attackers.
Rabbi Eli Naiditch, co-director with his wife, Sara, of Chabad on the Coast, was near the scene of the shooting just minutes before the attack. “Everyone in our community is checking in with everyone else, especially those who have moved here recently,” Naiditch told Chabad.org. “Our prayers are with the injured and the loved ones of those who were killed.”
The attack began when a gunman opened fire at Ilka, a popular neighborhood bar with a large outdoor seating section. Panic spread throughout the area.
“Large numbers of forces are carrying out broad searches,” Israel Police commander Rami Ben David told the media. He said people still out on the streets should return home.
Officials at Ichilov Medical Center say that they are treating eight victims. Four are being operated on and remain in serious condition, two are in moderate-to-serious condition, and two are in moderate condition.
The attack was the latest in a series of shootings and stabbings in late March that left 11 people dead in a single week, the worst outbreak of terrorist violence since 2006.
Additional details will be published when available.
Start a Discussion