“After more than a week of calm, the terror returned on Thursday [7 avril] in central Israel”writes the Israeli daily Ha’Aretz. At least two civilians were killed and a dozen others injured in a shooting on Dizengoff Street in central Tel Aviv, known for its busy bars and restaurants at night.
The perpetrator of the deadly attack, Raëd Hazem, 28, was a Palestinian “without known affiliation” according to the Shin Beth, the Israeli internal intelligence service, and originally from Jenin, in the West Bank. He was shot dead by Israeli security forces near a mosque in Jaffa where he had been hiding after a manhunt that lasted several hours.
This shooting is the latest in a deadly series that has already left 13 dead in less than three weeks in Israel.
“Leadership”
Homeland Security Specialist Ha’AretzAmos Harel, sees a “conductive thread” and “features” common to the last four attacks perpetrated in Beer Sheva (south of the country) on March 22, in Hadera (center) on March 27 – attack claimed by the Islamic State group, a first in Israel – in Bnei Brak on March 29 and now in Tel Aviv.
“This attack, the fourth since March 22, appears to be part of a long-term terrorist offensive. Although no invisible hand has been identified, it fundamentally changes the security and diplomatic reality between Israel and the Palestinians.”
All these attacks, notes the journalist, “targeted major towns within Israel’s pre-1967 borders and were executed by one or two assailants”. More worryingly, none of them “was preceded by an intelligence alert”.
In addition, a large part of the assailants are from Jenin, including the author of the last shooting. Since the first attack, Israeli security forces have carried out several operations around this West Bank city in which fighters from the Palestinian armed Islamic Jihad movement have been killed.
On Friday April 8, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said he had ordered the closure of the Jalameh crossing point, located north of Jenin, and linking the Palestinian city to Israel.