Hamas claims responsibility for deadly shooting attack in Israel | News on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

At least seven dead in an attack that took place shortly before Iran fired rockets at Israel.

The armed wing of the Palestinian group Hamas has claimed responsibility for a shooting attack in Jaffa, near the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, that left seven people dead and many more injured.

“The Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades takes responsibility for the heroic Jaffa operation carried out by the militants [occupied West Bank] City of Hebron,” the group said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades named the attackers Mohammed Misk and Ahmed al-Haimoni, who managed to “infiltrate our occupied territories.”

The attack came shortly before Iran fired rockets into Israel late Tuesday, sending people into bomb shelters across the country.

Israeli media has identified three of the dead as Israelis and one as Georgian. The others were Greeks and Moldovans, their governments said. The identity of the seventh victim was not revealed.

Israeli police said the suspected attackers “began their rampage when they boarded the light rail carriage that stopped at the station and fired at passengers.”

They were armed with an assault rifle and a knife and continued on foot until police “neutralized” them, they said.

One of the attackers was shot and the other was seriously injured, police added.

The Israeli security service and army also arrested several suspects in Hebron and Jerusalem who are believed to have helped the suspects.

Israel and Hamas have been at war in the Gaza Strip since October 7th. According to Palestinian authorities, at least 41,689 people were killed and 96,625 injured in the Israeli attack on Gaza. At least 1,139 people were killed and around 250 others were taken hostage in the Hamas-led attacks, according to an Al Jazeera tally based on Israeli statistics.

Violence has also increased in the West Bank. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 682 people in raids or attacks in the area since October 7.