On Wednesday, Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for a deadly shooting and stabbing attack that occurred in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of seven individuals. This incident marks one of the most lethal assaults in Israel since the onset of the Hamas offensive on October 7.
The attack coincided with a significant military escalation, as Iran launched approximately 200 missiles at Israel, prompting hundreds of thousands of citizens to seek refuge in public shelters. In their statement, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades referred to the assault as a “heroic Jaffa operation,” noting that it was executed by fighters originating from the occupied West Bank city of Hebron. The attack took place near a light rail station in Jaffa.
The group emphasized the timing of the attack, asserting that it aligned with the missile strikes targeting Israel. They identified the attackers as Mohammed Misk and Ahmed al-Haimoni, who were described as having “infiltrated into our occupied lands.”
Since the escalation began on October 7, Israel and Hamas have been engaged in intense conflict in Gaza. The initial Hamas attack on that date resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people in Israel, the majority of whom were civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli statistics. In retaliation, Israel’s military campaign has reportedly led to the deaths of at least 41,689 individuals in Gaza, predominantly civilians, as reported by the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory. The United Nations has indicated that these figures are credible.
On Wednesday, Israeli police confirmed that seven people had died as a result of the Jaffa attack, with one victim succumbing to injuries overnight. Additionally, the police reported that 17 others sustained injuries during the incident on Tuesday.
