Armed Palestinians Open Fire Killing Four at Tel Aviv Market

In the late afternoon on Wednesday, June 8th, two Palestinian terrorists opened fire on civilians in a local Tel Aviv market, resulting in four deaths while injuring sixteen others. The shooting took place in the Sarona district right across from the Tel Aviv Army Headquarters.

Israeli police identified the two shooters as 21-year old men from the Hebron area in the West Bank, though some unconfirmed reports indicated that a third shooter was still at large.

Witnesses alleged that the two men were dressed in business attire when they sat down at one of Sarona market’s restaurants. After having ordered food, the men then began open firing on the crowd around them.

The Times of Israel claimed the men were thought to have used automatic weapons, specifically “Carl-Gustav-style guns.” The Swedish-made Carl Gustav M-45 is a World War II-era submachine gun with a long service history. The home-made “Carlo” versions are popular with Palestinian terrorists, who have increased their attacks on Israeli cities throughout 2016. These weapons are relatively cheap, easy to use, and mostly untraceable.

On June 9th, Israeli police began a nation-wide operation to find and destroy the various blacksmiths that manufacture and distribute the weapons. Previous crackdowns by the Israeli government on arms distribution drastically decreased the presence of traditional factory-built weapons or imported weapons such as the American-made M16 or the Russian-designed AK-47. Over time, these guns appeared to fade from the hands of jihadists due to their dwindling presence and escalating price. When “Carlo” style  guns were increasing in popularity, traditional models cost upwards of $15,000, while “Carlo” firearms cost nearly thirty times less. This disparity in price allowed the homemade arms to become readily available to Palestinians and terror groups, such as Hamas.

Following the attacks, leaders of the terror group, Hamas, praised the behavior of the two Palestinians. Though the terror group did not explicitly claim responsibility for the operation, a spokesperson for the group, Sami Abu Zuhri, stated that the Tel Aviv assault was “a natural response to Israeli desecration of the Al-Asqa Mosque and the crimes against the Palestinian people.” Later on, the group hinted of future assaults, warning Israel that more “surprises” will come throughout the remainder of Ramadan.

Despite no other indications regarding who helped coordinate the attack, news of the operation was supposedly met with fireworks and cheering in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Some Palestinians were even reported to have handed out sweets or waved flags in celebration.

In addition to cracking down on “Carlo” gun shops, Israel responded by suspending the entry permits for 83,000 Palestinians, who seek to visit holy sites in Israel during Ramadan, and deploying additional battalions, which included hundreds of troops, into the West Bank to increase state security.

In April, Israeli security forced attempted to close down the Sarona Market over fears that the commercial center was not sufficiently secure. Despite police concerns, the Market stayed open, even after attempts of the Israeli government to remove their license over the concerns.

Currently, Tel Aviv is on high alert with extra police units dispatched, mainly around the city’s bus and train stations.

Ultimately, the funding and distribution of “Carlo” weapons makes identifying those behind the scenes of the crime incredibly difficult. The lack of conventional manufactory methods makes tracking the producers or buyers of these arms challenging. If Hamas truly coordinated the attack, the funding of workshops to create the weapons, or the purchasing of those weapons by Hamas agents would be difficult to prove. Second to this issue of identification is the mystery of how the Palestinians were able to gain entry into Tel Aviv. The suspension of entry permits may be a retaliatory effort to bar Palestinian Muslims from gaining access to sites during the Ramadan; however, if the IDF lacks the security measures to prevent two Palestinians from access to Tel Aviv, then these measures may be more defensive than offensive. Regardless, the future of Israel’s security is dependent upon their ability to prevent the access of arms to terrorists, such as Hamas, and limit points of entry into heavily populated Israeli territory.