Two gunmen attacked passengers on a tramway before targeting pedestrians, spreading terror in Tel Aviv’s Jaffa district

The attack, which took place on October 1, 2024, killed seven people and injured several others. The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, claimed responsibility in a statement the following day, calling the attack a “courageous operation”.

A coordinated attack

According to initial reports, the assailants began their offensive by entering a stationary streetcar, opening fire on the passengers present, before exiting and continuing their attack on foot, shooting at passers-by along Jerusalem Avenue, a busy thoroughfare in this Tel Aviv district. Israeli police reacted swiftly, neutralizing one of the attackers, 19-year-old Mohammed Rachid Misk, while the second, Ahmed Abdoulfattah Al-Haïmoni, was transferred to hospital with serious injuries.

Hamas claim

The Al-Qassam Brigades claimed that the two gunmen were members of their movement from the West Bank town of Hebron. “We claim with honor responsibility for the heroic operation in Jaffa, carried out by our fighters,” said the official statement. This statement was issued a few hours after the event, plunging the region into a climate of heightened tension.

Victims identified

The Israeli authorities have confirmed that among the seven dead, two Israelis have been identified: Shahar Goldman, aged 30, and Inbar Segev, aged 33. The Greek Foreign Ministry also announced the death of one of its citizens, a resident of Jerusalem. The rest of the victims have not yet been formally identified, but the search continues.

A chain of arrests

Following the attack, the Israeli police carried out a series of operations in the occupied territories and Jerusalem. Several individuals suspected of providing logistical support to the two attackers were arrested. Security forces are now investigating whether the attack was planned in coordination with other terrorist cells operating in the region.

An explosive context

This attack comes at a time of particularly high tension in the Middle East. A few hours after the attack, Iran fired some 200 missiles in the direction of Israel, in retaliation for the death of some of its allies in Israeli strikes. This outburst of violence sent alarm bells ringing throughout Israel, plunging the region once again into fears of a major military escalation.

While the Hebrew state has promised to retaliate firmly, observers fear that this new outbreak of violence could degenerate into a prolonged conflict involving other regional players.