Israel boosts security following deadly Tel Aviv attack

PanARMENIAN.Net - Israel clamped down on Palestinian movements and boosted security on Thursday, June 9 after Palestinian gunmen shot dead four people at a popular Tel Aviv nightspot, the deadliest attack in a months-long wave of violence, AFP reports.

Surveillance video seemingly from the moment of the attack that spread online showed the two assailants, dressed in black suits and ties, calmly walking into a cafe before pulling out guns and opening fire on its terrace.

Most patrons fled in panic, though some fought back at the cafe at Sarona Market in Israel's commercial capital.

At one point, one of the attackers violently threw a handgun to the ground as two victims lay motionless on the terrace, AFP says.

Five people were wounded in addition to the four killed.

The cafe remained open Thursday and was about half full in the afternoon, despite widespread shock among Israelis over the attack.

On the grass nearby, dozens of teenagers sat in a circle playing guitars and singing: "Don't be afraid, if you are alone, be strong."

Officials said they were suspending entry permits for more than 80,000 Palestinians during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan in a move that was likely to further stoke tensions.

Israel was also sending two additional battalions -- hundreds more troops -- into the occupied West Bank.

Those killed were all Israelis, identified as Ido Ben Aryeh, 42, Ilana Nave, 39, Michael Feige, 58, and Mila Mishayev, 32, police said.

They said one of the attackers was arrested, while the other was wounded by gunfire and had undergone surgery.

They were identified as Khaled Mohammad Makhamrah, 22, and his cousin Mohammad Ahmad Makhamrah, 21, both from the Hebron area in the West Bank.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the scene after what he called the "cold-blooded terrorist murder," AFP says

"We discussed a range of offensive and defensive steps which we shall take in order to act against this phenomenon," Netanyahu's office quoted him as saying.

"There will be intensive action by the police, the army and other security services, not just to catch every accomplice to this murder but also to prevent further incidents."

The shooting serves as a first major test for new hardline Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman, sworn in on May 30 and who has in the past threatened severe action against Palestinian "terrorists."

He also visited the scene on Thursday and ordered lunch at the cafe where the attack occurred, promising action but without giving details.