TEL AVIV – At least four people were killed and five or more were seriously wounded in a suspected terrorist shooting attack in Tel Aviv’s Sarona Market, an upscale food and shopping center in the heart of central Tel Aviv.
Police confirmed that two attackers were arrested, one of whom was shot.
Israel’s Channel 2 reported one suspected terrorist was neutralized on Haarba’a Street, located about a quarter mile from the market. Police officials were quoted as saying that the neutralized suspect is still alive and will be interrogated.
The Jerusalem Post cited reports from police sources saying two assailants had dressed up as ultra-Orthodox Jews.
Ynet added:
At first assessment, it appears that the terrorists sat at the popular restaurant Max Brenner before they set out on their shooting spree. One of the terrorists shot with a modified weapon that he left behind when he fled, though he was soon shot.
Regarding the death toll, the Times of Israel has the latest:
The death toll in tonight’s terrorist attack at Sarona Market in Tel Aviv has risen to four.
Three victims were pronounced dead by Ichilov Hospital earlier. A fourth victim, who was hospitalized in critical condition, was pronounced dead shortly after midnight.
None of the victims has yet been named.
The two attackers today are reportedly relatives – either brothers or cousins, depending on the report – who hail from Yatta, a village south of Hebron. The Israel Defense Forces is reportedly deploying in Hebron in the wake of the attack.
The Hamas terrorist organization is openly celebrating the attack. Hamas’s Gaza leader Ismail Haniyeh praised one of the shooters as a “hero,” and tweeted that he prays for “mercy and light” for his soul. His tweet went out immediately after the attack, when initial reports said there was one assailant. It would emerge minutes later that there was a second shooter.
Also Wednesday, Hamas-affiliated media reported that Palestinians in Gaza and in the West Bank city of Hebron set off fireworks in celebration of the attack.
It was not immediately confirmed whether the fireworks were indeed in response to the attack or to celebrate Ramadan, which often ends each night with firecrackers and fireworks.
Israel’s Defense Ministry is reportedly convening an emergency meeting, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to attend when he lands in Israel from a trip to Russia.
On Thursday, the IDF announced it was sending two extra battalions to reinforce security in the West Bank.
Sarona is located near one of the busiest intersections in Tel Aviv. It’s around the corner from an entrance to Israel’s Ayalon Highway and about three city blocks from the Israel Defense Forces main headquarters in Tel Aviv.
Aaron Klein is Breitbart’s Jerusalem bureau chief and senior investigative reporter. He is a New York Times bestselling author and hosts the popular weekend talk radio program, “Aaron Klein Investigative Radio.” Follow him on Twitter @AaronKleinShow. Follow him on Facebook.