Several people were wounded in a stabbing attack on Levontin Street in Tel Aviv’s Florentine neighborhood, the police announced Saturday.
Police determined that the incident was a terror attack, adding that the assailant tried to stab passersby before he was shot dead at the scene by a citizen with a licensed weapon.
The suspect was reported to be Salah Yahya, a 19-year-old resident of Tulkarm who entered Israel illegally, according to Ynet.
After one man in his late 30s was evacuated to Ichilov Hospital for a serious stab wound to his upper body, doctors operated on him, and he is now in stable condition, the hospital announced.
A friend of the victim who was present during the attack told Maariv: “My friend was stabbed right in front of me. We were sitting in a café, and the incident happened at the end of the street.”
Witnesses describe attack
The witness said that “suddenly, there was a crazy burst of gunfire, and then someone shouted ‘terror attack!’ We all ran into the kitchen to hide. There was hysteria and chaos; people were afraid to come out. Someone said it was a stabbing attack, and what we heard was gunfire aimed at the terrorist. One of the friends said he saw two people lying on the ground. People started heading home as quickly as possible.”
“People started shouting ‘Attack, attack!’ and we hid in the kitchen,” Kim, a guest at the nearby Taqueria restaurant, told Maariv.
“Shortly after the attack, the terrorist was neutralized,” the diner said. There was panic for a brief moment, and the restaurant was full. I never thought something like this could happen on a quiet street in central Tel Aviv.”
The Police Commissioner, Superintendent Dani Levi, arrived later in the evening at the scene of the attack in Tel Aviv, accompanied by Tel Aviv District Commander, Superintendent Chaim Sargrof, and conducted a situational assessment on-site. The investigation of the incident has been assigned to the Central Unit of the Tel Aviv District.
The Police Commissioner instructed there to be a significant reinforcement of police officers and readiness units across Tel Aviv.
"At this time, numerous police units continue their extensive deployment to enhance the security of residents in the area. They are also working at the scene to collect additional evidence, including witness statements, and documentation from the site," the police said in their statement.