The Islamist militia Hamas on Wednesday claimed responsibility for an attack a day ago in Tel Aviv that left seven dead and 17 injured.
In a statement, the Gaza-based Palestinian terrorist organization said the two perpetrators from the city of Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank were its members. At the same time, Hamas threatened further attacks.
The two men, shot dead by Israeli security forces, killed their victims on Tuesday on a light rail train and at a stop in Jaffa, the Arab-dominated district of the coastal metropolis.
One of them had an automatic rifle, the other a knife. According to media reports, the victims were train passengers and passers-by.
Israel has been waging war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip since October 7 last year, when the Islamists and their allies attacked southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 people.
Following Israel’s massive attacks on Gaza, the Hamas-controlled health authority in the besieged strip estimates the death toll at more than 41,000. The figure does not distinguish between civilians and fighters, but health officials say the majority of victims are women and children.
The conflict between the Jewish state and Islamist rivals has since expanded to include the Lebanese militia Hezbollah and Iran, which backs both Hamas and Hezbollah.
Palestinians killed after Israeli raids on Gaza
Earlier, at least 32 Palestinians died during an Israeli army raid on the town of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said.
Many of the victims were women and children, Hamas-controlled rescue services said.
According to eyewitnesses, the raid took place without prior warning. Israeli forces are said to have besieged and shelled several houses.
A local Palestinian journalist was also among the injured, killing five of his relatives.
The Israeli military initially made no comment on its actions in Khan Younis.
According to Palestinian reports, three people were also killed and at least 15 injured in an Israeli army attack in the center of the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army announced that it had attacked a Hamas command center in the former building of a girls’ school in the village of Nuseirat. Previously, precautions had been taken to spare civilians as much as possible, the army added.
