Updated: A Palestinian man was shot and killed on the scene, and an Israeli man died later of his wounds after the 23-year-old Palestinian, identified as Mo’taz Salah Khawaja, 23, reportedly opened fire on a group of Israelis on a crowded street in Tel Aviv.
Israeli police killed Mo’taz at the scene. An Israeli man, identified as Or Eshkar, 32, was killed as a result of the attack, succumbing to his wounds 11 days later, on March 20, 2023.
According to the Israeli news agency Times of Israel, the director of Ichilov Hospital, Roni Gamzu, said that “unfortunately, the severity of his wounds was deadly. After a heroic struggle of many days, in which we saw an iron man fight for his life, we were forced to declare his death.”
Updated from: Three Israelis Shot and Wounded in Tel Aviv
Mar 10, 2023, at 19:41
On Thursday, a gunman opened fire on Israelis at a restaurant on a crowded Tel Aviv street, wounding three before being shot by police.
The three wounded men were in their thirties, according to Israeli sources, and their injuries were identified as: one critical, one serious, and one light. The three were rushed to the Ichilov hospital after medics administered emergency first aid to two of the men, who were lying on the ground.
Israeli police shot the alleged perpetrator and took him into custody. His condition is unknown. He has been identified as 23-year-old Ma’atez Khawaja from the village of Nil’in, west of Ramallah in the central West Bank.
The incident took place on Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv.
The Tel Aviv Israeli police commander stated, “Tel Aviv naturally is always a target, and despite our being on high alert, we had no prior knowledge of the attack”.
After taking Hawaja into custody, Israeli forces invaded his home village and raided his family home, ransacking belongings and assaulting his family members.
Just a few blocks from the shooting, a protest was taking place when the incident occurred. The protest was challenging the Israeli government’s corruption and was not affiliated with the attack at the cafe.
One nearby resident told Ha’aretz that he heard eight shots fired and came outside and saw two men lying on the ground.
Soon after the incident, Israelis gathered at the scene and chanted “Death to Arabs” while waving the Israeli flag.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu (the main target of the anti-corruption protesters), who is currently in Rome, stated, “There has been a grave incident in Tel Aviv, A terror attack. We commend the police and security forces fighting terrorists this evening and everywhere. I am certain this will not weaken our resolve to continue building our country and securing our future.”
In the last three days, Israeli troops have killed ten Palestinians and wounded dozens more with live ammunition, mainly in Jenin, in the northern West Bank. No Israelis have been killed in that time period.
