Tel Aviv Heroic Shooting Op. Leaves Two Dead, Several Wounded

By Staff, Agencies

Two people were killed and 12 more were wounded in a heroic Palestinian shooting operation in the center of Tel Aviv on Thursday night. The operation took place in multiple locations on “Dizengoff Street”, a popular scene in the main “Israeli”-occupied Palestinian city.

Two hours after the attack, the shooter was still on the loose and large security forces – including at least 1,000 police officers and additional “Israeli” Occupation Forces [IOF] troops – were searching the area.

The entity’s Special Forces – including units from the IOF’s “Sayeret Matkal” and “Shaldag Units” as well as the entity’s police’s “Yamam” elite unit – were scouring the area together with senior agents from the Shin Bet [the “Israeli” entity’s Security Agency].

The entity’s police urged the public to stay at home and get off the streets until the shooter is caught.

The shooter was said to be dressed in black shorts and a black shirt and was carrying a handgun and a blue backpack, according to the “Israeli” police.

The shooter, still unknown, carried out the shooting in three different locations in Tel Aviv, and the IOF is currently pursuing him.

At least four of the wounded were said to be in critical or serious condition, according to Sourasky Medical Center. “Israeli” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, War Minister Benny Gantz, IOF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi and Operations Directorate OC Maj.-Gen. Oded Basyuk were at the Kirya Military headquarters in Tel Aviv and receiving regular updates about the operation.

The entity’s so-called Public Security Minister Omer Bar Lev, “Israel” Police chief Kobi Shabtai and IOF deputy Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi arrived at the scene as the search for the shooter continued.

Relatedly, Palestinian factions welcomed the heroic operation on Thursday. Hamas called the operation a "natural and legitimate response to the escalation of the occupation's crimes against our people, our land, al-Quds [Jerusalem] and al-Aqsa Mosque."

The resistance movement added that it would "not allow" the "continuation of the occupation’s terrorism and crimes, and its attempts to Judaize al-Quds [Jerusalem], and to make sacrifices in the courtyards of al-Aqsa Mosque to build their alleged temple, on the so-called Passover holiday."

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement responded to the operation as well on Thursday saying, "the Tel Aviv operation is a clear message to the occupation that it must stop its incursions into al-Aqsa Mosque." The movement warned that further "incursions" into al-Aqsa would lead to "more resistance and ransom operations."

The heroic operation was the latest in a series of deadly operations that began last month in Bir Saba’ [Beersheba], al-Khedira [Hadera] and the “Israeli” settlement of Bnei Brak. So far, 11 people have been killed in the operations.