The perpetrator opened fire on a busy bar and restaurant on Thursday night before fleeing, according to police. Israel’s emergency services Magen David Adom said it had received reports of shootings in “several tents” around downtown Tel Aviv. Image: Israeli security personnel near the site of the attack Two men in their 30s were killed, the agency said, and six people, three of them seriously, were taken to a nearby Ichilov hospital. The hospital confirmed that two people had died and that it had treated eight injured. Tel Aviv Police Chief Amichai Eshed said the perpetrator opened fire at a packed bar around 9pm and then fled. He said: “Our job is that it is still close by. “Right now, there are indications that this is a terrorist attack, but I have to be very sensitive about that and say that we are in control of other elements.” Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, praised the attack but did not claim responsibility. Picture: Living room bar near the scene of the deadly shooting attack Israeli television station Kan showed live footage of officers flooding the area and training their weapons on the top floor of a building, as well as an explosion of some kind. At least one shot was fired at Dizengoff Street, a major thoroughfare and popular hangout over the weekend. Police have urged people to avoid the area where many deadly attacks have taken place over the years, including the killing of two Israelis in 2016 by an Israeli Arab citizen. Thursday is the start of the Israeli weekend and the popular nightlife area was packed. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was monitoring the situation from the Israeli headquarters, which is also located in the center of Tel Aviv, his office said. Neil Wigan, the UK ambassador to Israel, wrote on Twitter that it was “catastrophic to see innocent civilians being brutally targeted again”. Tensions are high following a series of attacks by Palestinian militants who killed 11 people shortly before the holy Islamic month of Ramadan, which began almost a week ago. Last year, demonstrations and clashes during Ramadan sparked an 11-day conflict in Gaza. Picture: People hugging outside a bar near the site of the attack Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian leaders have met several times in recent weeks, and Israel has taken a number of steps to defuse tensions, including issuing thousands of additional work permits for Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. Tens of thousands are expected to attend the first weekly Ramadan prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem on Friday, following the lifting of restrictions.
