2-10-2024 (TEL AVIV) A tragic incident unfolded in Tel Aviv on 1 October as two gunmen carried out a deadly attack, resulting in at least six fatalities and nine injuries. The assailants, who disembarked from a tram, opened fire on unsuspecting passers-by before being neutralised by security forces and an armed civilian, according to Israeli police reports.
Authorities have classified the incident as a terrorist attack, although no armed Palestinian factions or militant groups have yet claimed responsibility. The attack occurred amidst heightened tensions, with Israel on high alert as the Gaza war approaches its first anniversary and the conflict in Lebanon threatens to draw in Iran.
Eyewitness accounts, captured on Israeli television, depicted the harrowing scene as the gunmen alighted from the train and began their indiscriminate assault on platform occupants. Emergency services, including the MDA ambulance service, rushed to provide on-site treatment to the wounded, some of whom were reported to be in critical condition.
NOW – Mass shooting near Tel Aviv, #Israel. pic.twitter.com/CowosBsQUg
— Radio Australis (@freedom4UU) October 2, 2024
In a startling turn of events, air raid sirens blared across Israel shortly after the attack, signalling the launch of Iranian missiles. This barrage was reportedly in retaliation for Israel’s recent elimination of key figures within Iran’s ‘Axis of Resistance’ alliance.
Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s hardline Finance Minister, claimed that the attackers originated from Hebron in the West Bank. In a controversial statement on social media, Smotrich advocated for the deportation of the suspects’ families to Gaza and the destruction of their homes, highlighting the potential for further escalation in the region.
This latest violence occurs against the backdrop of ongoing conflicts. The Gaza war, approaching its one-year mark, began with a Hamas-led attack on Israel that resulted in approximately 1,200 Israeli deaths and over 250 hostages. Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza has led to over 41,000 Palestinian casualties, according to Palestinian health authorities, and widespread destruction in the enclave.
Simultaneously, Israel is engaged in hostilities with Hezbollah in Lebanon, aiming to halt rocket attacks on its northern territories. This conflict recently intensified with the reported killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut.
