Tel Aviv Attack: 7 Killed, 16 Injured in Shooting and Stabbing

Seven people were killed and 16 others injured in a combined stabbing and shooting attack near a light-rail stop in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, according to Israeli police and emergency services.

Authorities reported that two men boarded a light train and opened fire when it halted. Afterward, they exited the train and continued their attack on foot, targeting pedestrians along Jerusalem Boulevard in Jaffa, a bustling neighborhood in Tel Aviv. The attackers were eventually subdued by local authorities and residents, some of whom used their personal firearms to intervene.

The assailants were identified by police as Muhammad Masek, 19, who was killed at the scene, and Ahmed Himoni, 25, who was seriously injured. Both were from Hebron and were armed with an M16 rifle, ammunition, and a knife.

First responders arrived shortly after 7 p.m. local time. Emergency medical technician Yousef Kourdi described the chaotic scene, where victims with gunshot wounds lay near the train tracks, while additional injured individuals were found at a nearby kiosk. Israel Rost, another emergency medic, reported treating stabbing victims inside a synagogue and a butcher shop in a nearby commercial center, noting that several had moderate to serious injuries.

Two paramedics, Omri Gorga and Noam Eliyof, confirmed that gunfire had struck the light rail car, which eventually stopped at Makhrozet Street. Four victims found in and around the railcar were pronounced dead at the scene.

No group has claimed responsibility for this attack. However, Hamas had previously taken responsibility for a bombing in Tel Aviv in August that injured one person and had warned of further attacks as long as the conflict in Gaza persisted. This latest assault comes amid heightened tensions, with an impending large-scale missile attack from Iran further escalating the situation.

While the medics continued providing aid, a missile alert was triggered, warning of an incoming barrage over Tel Aviv, causing panic as residents sought shelter.