At least six dead after gunmen open fire in Tel Aviv train station

Chilling footage shows two terrorist stalking victims at a Tel Aviv train station before shooting six people dead just moments before Iranian missiles rained down on Israel in an apparently coordinated attack. At least nine others were wounded in the shooting on Tuesday night, just a day before the Jewish New Year. Magen David Adom – Israel’s national emergency services – announced that the ‘terrorist’ incident in Jaffa involved multiple casualties.

The video shows a gunman and another suspect dressed in all black prowling along a light rail station before opening fire. A volley of shots was unleashed before anguished screams were heard and more shots rang out. The suspects then turned around and began advancing along the other side of the platform where bodies were later seen piling up in a separate clip. According to local police, the two armed men were ‘neutralized’ by security forces.

Initial figures from law enforcement stated the death toll was eight before this was revised down to six. It is unclear if previous reports continued the attackers who were shot dead. ‘We know their origin and are conducting further checks with the Shin Bet,’ Tel Aviv District Commander Haim Sargrof said of the suspects. ‘They are not Israeli citizens.’ Israel’s MDA ambulance service said it received a report at 7.01 p.m. of people injured by gunfire on Yerushalayim Street near Erlich Station.

Security forces responded and arrived to find the shooting in progress along with shouts of ‘Allah Akbar’, the Jerusalem Post reports. Sargrof said the gunman opened fire onboard the light rail, killing four, before the suspects continued their rampage on the street. One was armed with an assault rifle, while another began stabbing with a knife.

A light rail security guard, two officers from the municipal Sela Unit, and police officers shot at the terrorists, who were described as non-Israeli citizens. Medics and paramedics provided on-site medical treatment to a number of wounded people, ‘in varying conditions’ MDA said. They included two unconscious people in critical condition, two in serious condition, two in a moderate condition and one with minor injuries.

Hanan Peretz, head of the Sela Unit, praised the swift response of his team. ‘They identified the gunman, took cover without hesitation, and fired at him,’ he said. ‘It seems the terrorist’s weapon malfunctioned during the shooting.’ Eyewitnesses described the chaos to the Jerusalem Post. ‘We were on the light rail when we suddenly heard gunfire from outside,’ one witness said. ‘At first, we thought it was fireworks, but then we realized it was something much worse. There were many gunshots. We dropped to the floor, and people were crying. I saw someone bleeding on the ground.’ A nearby shop owner added, ‘I saw crowds of people running and shouting ‘terror attack.’ I quickly closed my shutters and locked up.’

It comes as Iranian rockets lit up the sky and smashed into buildings across the city – just hours after the White House warned an attack was ‘imminent’. Iran said the missile attack was in retaliation for the deaths of the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah last week, the death of the head of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Abbas Nilfroshan. MDA said that it was searching the sites of rocket strikes across the country. ‘Currently, there are no reports of injuries from the fire towards Israel, other than minor injuries from shrapnel or falls on the way to safe areas,’ the agency said.

Earlier Tuesday, U.S. Embassy in Israel told its employees to return home and be prepared to enter bomb shelters as the White House warned of an imminent ballistic missile attack from Iran. The warning comes with the Middle East on the brink of an all-out war and a day after Israeli forces launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon aimed at crippling the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah. The IDF has since said the citizens can leave their protective areas the airstrikes are believed to be over. ‘We request that the public continue to follow the home front command’s guidelines,’ a statement reads. The first missiles were fired around 12:30 pm ET, according to reports out of Israel. The U.S. warning had come about five hours earlier.

President Joe Biden convened a meeting of his national security council, including Vice President Harris, shortly before the attack began. ‘They reviewed the status of U.S. preparations to help Israel defend against these attacks and protect U.S. personnel in the region,’ the White House said. The White House had warned any attack would carry ‘severe consequences.’ ‘The United States has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel ,’ a senior administration official told DailyMail.com earlier Tuesday. ‘We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack. A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran.’

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari echoed his sentiments in a statement given to the BBC. ‘We are on high alert both defensively and offensively. We will defend the citizens of the State of Israel. This attack will have consequences. We have plans, and we will operate at the place and time we decide,’ he says. ‘We are not aware of any casualties; this is thanks to your responsible conduct,’ he added.

At least one Palestinian has been confirmed dead. The man from Gaza was killed by shrapnel near the West Bank city of Jericho during the missile attack, Hussein Hamayel, the governor said. The attacks come just days before the anniversary of the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas. Ebrahim Azizi, the head of Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee warned that the missile strikes were just the first wave of attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

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