The scene of the attack in Tel Aviv
(Video: Lior Sharon, Lior Ohana )
Witness accounts from the scene of Tuesday's deadly shooting in Tel Aviv's Jaffa quarter paint a picture of chaos and fear amid the highest security tensions since October 7.
Nadia, a Jaffa resident, was cycling along the boulevard when gunmen opened fire. "When I reached the Ehrlich station, gunfire erupted. I threw my bike and hid behind an electrical box. I saw two men with long guns firing continuously. They spotted a guy near the barbershop and asked if he was Arab. He said, ‘Yes, yes, I’m Arab,’ and they moved on," she said.
Moti, the owner of a nearby kiosk, described the relentless gunfire. "We heard endless rounds of shots in every direction. We rushed outside in panic and saw figures running down the street, likely the attackers. It was hard to watch," he recounted. Roy, who was in a nearby supermarket, said, "The gunmen fired indiscriminately at a shop. I later saw them fleeing toward northern Jaffa. The street was strewn with injured people."
Mohammed El-Sayed, a florist on the street, witnessed the light rail stopping in front of his shop. "A woman got off the train screaming. I ran inside and saw a wounded baby, other injured people, and some who were dead. It’s a terrible feeling to witness this scene. It’s a sad and difficult day. Everyone was heading home, preparing for the holiday, and they didn’t make it back. We tried to help as much as we could. We were selling flowers for the holiday, and then this tragedy happened," he said.
Israel Police Commissioner Daniel Levy arrived at the scene, calling it "a difficult event" and saying, "Every call we receive is being checked. We had no prior intelligence on this attack. We know the identity of the gunmen and are handling the matter with the Shin Bet security service."
Tel Aviv District Police Commander Peretz Amar provided further details, confirming that the two attackers boarded the light rail, opened fire inside, and then continued shooting on the street. "The attackers were neutralized by rail security guards, the municipal Special Operations Unit, and police officers," Amar said.
The shooting, which took place on Jerusalem Boulevard, left seven people dead and 16 others injured, some critically. A preliminary investigation revealed that the attackers first opened fire on light rail passengers before targeting pedestrians.
Security forces shot and killed the two gunmen. The wounded were transported by Magen David Adom teams to Wolfson Medical Center in Holon and Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, police ruled out the presence of additional gunmen at the Sharon Hotel in Herzliya, following earlier concerns.
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