A few hours before sunset and the start of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, many people gathered and lit candles on the sidewalk of the avenue in this Jaffa neighborhood known for its mixed population: Jews and Arabs live side by side here.
“Today is a holiday in Israel, I hope we spend it quietly. Honestly, I hope we have peace so we don’t have to worry when we go out on the road. When we go to catch the train,” said Shraya Harer, 21, who until recently lived nearby and went to light a candle in memory of the victims.
Police said the perpetrators of yesterday’s attack were two Palestinians aged 19 and 25 from Hebron in the occupied West Bank. The gunmen boarded the tram and opened fire on the passengers. They then continued on foot, targeting pedestrians, before being stopped by a security patrol and an armed citizen who killed one assailant and seriously wounded the second.
The attack happened around the time an Iranian missile attack on Israel was underway, with warning sirens blaring and explosions ringing across the country.
The victims
The victims of yesterday’s attack in Jaffa included three young women – one was a mother who used her body to protect her baby, according to local media. Sixteen people were injured, police said.
Israeli security forces arrested several people in the Hebron and Jerusalem areas on suspicion of aiding the attackers. Police are calling the attack a “terrorist” attack, but there is no immediate claim of responsibility from Palestinian or other armed groups.
“I’m terrified. I live about five minutes from here. I use this attitude every day. I was here 20 minutes before the terrorist attack,” said 25-year-old student Alex Kaidrikov. and added that: “yesterday was horrible”.
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