More than 1,000 Israeli police officers are searching the streets for an assailant in Tel Aviv after a Thursday night shooting left two people dead and several more injured, according to authorities.
The apparent terror attack began when at least one gunman walked up to a bar named Ilka and opened fire, resulting in at least 12 people being hospitalized, two of whom were later declared dead, according to the Times of Israel. Among the wounded, four were in critical condition and undergoing surgery, two were seriously injured, and six had mild injuries, local hospitals said.
“From what we know, there are signs this was terror,” said Tel Aviv Police Chief Ami Eshed.
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A worker at Ilka said he saw at least two attackers, with at least one opening fire with a pistol. A police spokesperson described one suspect as a possibly thin person wearing a black shirt and black shorts based on a “blurry picture.”
Police have asked residents in the area to remain indoors and report any suspicious individuals. Public transportation was also shut down in central Tel Aviv.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Hamas terror group called it a “heroic operation” that constitutes a “natural and legitimate response to the escalation of the occupation’s crimes.”
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U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides wrote on social media he was “horrified to see another cowardly terror attack on innocent civilians” and is “sending condolences to the victims and their families.”
Horrified to see another cowardly terror attack on innocent civilians, this time in Tel Aviv. Praying for peace, and sending condolences to the victims and their families. This has to stop!
— Ambassador Tom Nides (@USAmbIsrael) April 7, 2022
There have been at least three other deadly attacks in Israel in the past few weeks amid fresh efforts to get Israel to revive peace talks with the Palestinians.
