Israel is in the midst of a terror wave as the city of Tel Aviv was hit by another deadly attack. Two Israelis were killed and 15 injured when a Palestinian terrorist opened fire on a bar in the city’s busy Dizengoff Street on Thursday evening.
The two victims were identified as childhood friends Tomer Morad and Eytam Magini, both aged 27.
The terrorist, named Raad Fathi Hazem, was eliminated following a manhunt mounted by the Israeli special forces on Friday morning. He was found hiding in a Jaffa city mosque, just a couple of miles from the attack scene.
Thursday’s incident is the latest in the string of deadly terrorist attacks, which began in the run-up to Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting. The surging Palestinian terror wave has claimed 13 innocent lives in recent weeks.
The Times of Israel reported the Thursday’s terror attack:
Two people were killed and several were wounded as a gunman opened fire on a bar in central Tel Aviv Thursday evening in a deadly terror attack, the latest eruption of violence to strike Israel in recent weeks.The shooting took place on Dizengoff Street, turning an area crowded with people out for Thursday night at bars, restaurants and cafes lining the popular thoroughfare into a scene of chaos and panic.As the street filled with ambulances and rescuers, police carried out searches for the gunman, who witnesses said fled the scene and disappeared into nearby alleys, going door to door and telling people to stay inside and lock their doors.The attack began when the gunman walked up to Ilka, a popular bar with a large outside seating section, and opened fire. (…)Ten people were rushed to the nearby Ichilov Hospital with gunshot wounds, two of whom were later declared dead, the hospital said. They were both reported to be civilians in their 20s.Four others were listed as critical and were undergoing surgery, according to the hospital. Two were seriously injured, and two were mildly hurt.
The Israeli security forces are gearing up to counter the Palestinian campaign of terror. “We are granting full freedom of action to the army, the Shin Bet and all security forces in order to defeat the terror,” Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett assured on Friday.
The Israeli news website Ynetnews reported the details of the security operation that finally led to the killing of the terrorist:
Security forces early on Friday killed the suspected gunman who opened fire on a busy Tel Aviv street the evening before, killing two and wounding others.The forces from the Shin Bet internal security agency and police special anti-terror unit Yamam located the gunman near a mosque in the Jaffa quarter of the city and killed him in an exchange of fire. There were no casualties reported among the security forces.He was identified as 28-year-old Ra’ad Hazem, a resident of the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank who was in Israel illegally after being denied an entry permit under security considerations due to his affiliation with the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.He was located by Shin Bet forces who called on him to surrender but he opened fire and was killed by the troops.
Last year’s Ramadan was also marred by Palestinian terrorist attacks and street rioting in Jerusalem and other Israeli cities. Radical Muslim clerics often use the weekly Ramadan sermons to incite violence against Jews and Israelis.
The Gaza-based Islamist group Hamas praised the Tel Aviv attack carried out by a terrorist affiliated with its al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades. Hamas’s statement lauded the fact that the “organized resistance is able to penetrate the Israeli security system” and murder innocent Israelis on the streets of Tel Aviv.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist group issued a statement saying it “blesses” the attack on the Israeli civilians.
Palestinians celebrated the bloodshed in Tel Aviv by setting off fireworks and distributing sweets, videos, and photos posted on the social media show.
While Israel faces a surge in terrorism, the Biden administration is pushing Jerusalem to boost the economy of the PLO-controlled Palestinian Authority.
Israel rejected a proposed White House meeting with Palestinian representatives to deal with the “economic crisis” faced by the PLO-run administration, the Israeli media reported Friday.
The Biden administration’s concerns for the Palestinian ‘economic hardship’ come as Palestinian Authority continues to fund the pay-for-slay scheme that rewards convicted terrorists and their families with monthly ‘salaries’ for committing terrorism against Israelis.
The Israeli TV channel i24News reported Jerusalem’s rejection:
Israel rejected a proposal by the United States to host a meeting with Israeli and Palestinian national security advisors at the White House.The proposed forum would have focused on economic and security coordination between Israel and Palestinians, Haaretz reported.In light of the economic crisis in the West Bank and amid growing Israeli-Palestinian tensions, the proposal was part of Washington’s efforts to shore up the Palestinian Authority.The meeting was to be hosted by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, while the head of National Security Council Eyal Hulata was to represent Israel.
According to the Israel-based watchdog Palestinian Media Watch, the “Palestinian Authority Martyrs Fund” paid out more than $150 million to terrorists and their dependents in 2020. The economic aid provided by the U.S., European, and other Western governments is diverted to finance the pay-for-slay scheme.
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