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2024 Jaffa shooting

Coordinates: 32°2′46″N 34°45′30″E / 32.04611°N 34.75833°E / 32.04611; 34.75833
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2024 Jaffa shooting
Part of the Israel–Hamas war
A makeshift memorial at the site of the attack on the day after the attack
Attack site is located in Israel
Attack site
Attack site
Location in Israel
LocationJerusalem Boulevard, Tel Aviv, Israel
Coordinates32°2′46″N 34°45′30″E / 32.04611°N 34.75833°E / 32.04611; 34.75833
Date1 October 2024; 32 days ago (2024-10-01)
19:00 (IDT)
Attack type
Mass shooting and knife attack
WeaponsAssault rifle, knife[1][2]
Deaths7 (+2 perpetrators)
Injured17 (including an IDF soldier)[3]
Perpetrator Hamas
AssailantsMuhammad Chalaf Sahar Rajab and Hassan Muhammad

On 1 October 2024, two Hamas gunmen carried out an attack in Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Israel. Seven civilians were killed, and seventeen others were injured.[4][5][6] The attack ended when the gunmen were shot dead by an armed civilian and a security guard.[7]

Background

Tensions between Israel and the occupied West Bank have steadily increased since the 7 October 2023 attacks, which killed about 1,200 people and seized about 251 hostages. Since the attack about 40 Israeli citizens and security forces have been killed in attacks in both Israel and the occupied West Bank.[8]

On 30 November 2023, two Hamas affiliated militants exited a car and traveled to a bus stop by the Ben-Gurion Boulevard in Jerusalem and opened fire, killing three people and wounding others. A responding Israeli civilian; Yuval Castleman drew his personal weapon and killed one of the shooters, before responding IDF troops shot and killed him believing him to be a militant. Castleman had discarded his gun and raised his hands shouting "I'm Israel, do not shoot" before he was shot.[9][10]

Attack

Prior to the shooting, the two attackers entered the Al-Nuzha Mosque through the women's entrance and stashed their bags in the mosques bathroom, threatening worshipers not to leave. Members of the congregation, indicated that one of the shooters opened the door with a M16 rifle and shouted at them "Nobody go outside! Anyone who goes out is a dead man!" Once the doors were closed the congregation began to call the police.[8]

A picture of the two perpetrators during the attack

At approximately 7:00 pm, two men armed with firearms and knives opened fire on pedestrians near the Tel Aviv Light Rail's Erlich Station in Jaffa, injuring several civilians.[11][12] The Israeli emergency response service, MDA, reported that they had received reports of people injured by gunfire at 7:01 pm.[13]

According to initial reports, there were three locations involved in the attack; Jerusalem Boulevard, Yefet Street, and Gaza Street.[citation needed] An eyewitness at the station claimed that the two men did not appear to be suspicious before the attack, claiming one was carrying an M16 rifle and the other had a polo shirt and pin commemorating the hostages held by Hamas.[8]

A preliminary investigation revealed that the two militants disembarked from the light rail on the Jerusalem Boulevard, drew firearms, and began shooting randomly.[14]

A passerby; Lev Kreitman and a security guard both returned fire and killed the gunmen shortly after the attack began.[7][15] Kreitman was reported to be an Israeli Army reservist, who had recently returned from a 6 month deployment to Gaza and a survivor of the 7 October 2023 Nova music festival massacre.[16][17]

Casualties

Seven people were killed and seventeen others were wounded in the attack.[18] Among the dead were three foreign citizens, one each from Greece, Georgia,[19] and Moldova.[20] The deceased were aged between 24 and 42 years of age.[8] Injured victims were taken to the Wolfson Medical Center and the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center.[21]

Perpetrators

The perpetrators were two Hamas operatives from Hebron in the occupied West Bank, named Muhammad Chalaf Sahar Rajab and Hassan Muhammad Hassan Tamimi. One was aged 19 and the other 25.[22][13] Hamas's Al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility on the day following the attack.[23]

Aftermath

The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) imposed a closure on Hebron, and announced later that they had detained and questioned several people on suspicion of aiding the attackers, purchasing the rifle for attack and getting them into Israel proper without a permit.[8]

Five days after the shooting, another attack occurred at the Beersheba central station, where the assailant opened fire and used a knife to kill one and wound thirteen before being killed by IDF troops.[24]

Response

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressed both the attack and the Iranian strikes against Israel offering his condolences to the families of those injured or killed in the attack, and his best wishes for the recovery of those injured.[25]

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir referenced the missile attacks, stating that he would demand at the cabinet meeting that there was no more time for diplomacy and containment but moving forward the policy should be crushing the militants.[11] Ben-Gvir visited the scene of the shooting and made claims that a nearby mosque may have members that participated in the engagement, and stated that he would close and destroy the mosque if it was deemed true.[7] Yesh Atid MK Merav Ben Ari rebuffed the remarks of Ben-Gvir stating he had "threatened the Arab citizens of Jaffa" and that "he should take his racism elsewhere."[8]

Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich indicated that he would demand at the cabinet meeting that day that family members of the gunmen would be deported to Gaza and their homes destroyed.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ Beaumont, Peter (1 October 2024). "Six killed and 10 wounded in shooting and knife attack in Israeli city of Jaffa". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  2. ^ Fabian, Emanuel (1 October 2024). "Two terrorists armed with assault rifle carried out shooting attack in Jaffa". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  3. ^ "Israeli army says soldier 'seriously injured' in Jaffa shooting". Al Jazeera. 2 October 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  4. ^ "Seven murdered in Jaffa terror shooting, many more wounded". The Jerusalem Post. 1 October 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  5. ^ "פיגוע ירי קשה ביפו: שישה פצועים בכמה זירות במקביל; מד"א: "אירוע רב נפגעים"" [A serious shooting attack in Jaffa: six wounded in several scenes at the same time; MDA: "Incident with many casualties"]. Maariv (in Hebrew). 1 October 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  6. ^ Fabian, Emanuel (1 October 2024). "Many wounded, including 2 critically, in shooting attack at train station in Jaffa". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 2 October 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d Breiner, Josh; Peleg, Bar; Efrati, Ido (1 October 2024). "Six Killed, 10 Wounded in Shooting Attack in Jaffa, Israel Police Says". Haaretz. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Fabian, Emanuel (2 October 2024). "Six victims of Jaffa terror attack named, as more details about shooting emerge". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  9. ^ אל-חי, ליאור (2 December 2023). ""בני נרצח, הוצא להורג. הם לא טעו": אביו של יובל קסטלמן ז"ל דורש חקירה יסודית". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  10. ^ ""רגעים שאי אפשר לתאר אותם, סרט אימה": מושיקו היה עד לפיגוע בירושלים הבוקר". Channel 13 News. 13 December 2023. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  11. ^ a b "שמונה בני אדם נרצחו בפיגוע ביפו" [Eight people were murdered in the attack in Jaffa]. inn.co.il (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 1 October 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  12. ^ "דיווח ראשוני: חשד לפיגוע ירי ביפו" [Initial report: suspected shooting attack in Jaffa]. N12 (in Hebrew). 1 October 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  13. ^ a b "Israelis hold vigil at Tel Aviv train stop after Palestinian shooting attack". Reuters. 2 October 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  14. ^ Davies, Maia (1 October 2024). "Seven killed in shooting and knife attack in Tel Aviv". BBC News. Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  15. ^ Jones, Rory; Peled, Anat; Keller-Lynn, Carrie (1 October 2024). "Shooting Attack Leaves at Least Six Dead in Jaffa". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  16. ^ Propper, David (2 October 2024). "Oct. 7 Nova festival survivor in flip-flops helped authorities kill terrorists in Tel Aviv shooting: report". New York Post. Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  17. ^ "October 2, 2024 Israel strikes central Beirut for the first time since 2006". CNN. Archived from the original on 2 October 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  18. ^ Crane, Emily (2 October 2024). "Israeli mom killed in Tel Aviv terrorist shooting while shielding her 9-month-old baby". New York Post. Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  19. ^ "Greek citizen killed in Jaffa terror shooting attack, says Athens". The Times of Israel. 2 October 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  20. ^ Iana, Ciprian (2 October 2024). "O femeie din Republica Moldova a fost ucisă în atacul terorist de la Tel Aviv. Avea o fetiță de 6 ani" [A woman from the Republic of Moldova was killed in the terrorist attack in Tel Aviv. He had a 6-year-old daughter]. Libertatea (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  21. ^ Ohana, Lior; Tamari, Liran (1 October 2024). "6 murdered in a Tel Aviv terror attack; 2 terrorists killed". Ynetnews. Archived from the original on 1 October 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  22. ^ Confino, Jotam (1 October 2024). "Six killed in Tel Aviv train station shooting". The Daily Telegraph.
  23. ^ "Israel-Iran latest: Eight Israeli soldiers killed in fighting with Hezbollah inside Lebanon, says IDF". BBC News. Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  24. ^ "One killed, nine wounded in terror attack at Beersheba Central Bus Station". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 6 October 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  25. ^ "7 people killed in Tel Aviv mass shooting moments before Iran launches missile attack on Israel, police say". CBS News. 2 October 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
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