Gunmen Kill 8 in Tel Aviv Attack

At least eight people have been killed and more injured in a shooting on Tuesday in the Jaffa neighborhood of Tel Aviv, according to multiple media reports.

Israel's Magen David Adom (MDA) confirmed that eight individuals were killed in the attacks that occurred Jaffa, the Times of Israel reported.

Police also stated that two individuals who carried out the attacks had been "neutralized" according to the outlet.

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported that the two gunmen carried out the attacks on Tuesday evening after traveling on the light rail in Tel Aviv. Videos of the incident viewed by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency showed the two attackers getting off the train car and opening fire on individuals nearby. Newsweek could not verify this information.

The attack on Tuesday evening comes amid heightened tensions across the Middle East as Israel remains in a war with Hamas militants in Gaza. Israel is also facing attacks from Iran on Tuesday.

"A short time ago, missiles were launched from Iran towards the State of Israel," Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a statement. "You are asked to remain vigilant and follow the Home Front Command's instructions precisely."

Hagari urged citizens to follow urgent "life-saving instructions" issued by the Home Front Command via text message and to head for a protected space immediately.

"The air defense system is fully operational, detecting and intercepting threats wherever necessary, even at this moment," Hagari said. "However, the defense is not hermetic, and therefore it is essential to follow the Home Front Command's instructions. You may hear explosions, which could be the result of interceptions or impacts."

Later on Tuesday, the attack was confirmed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In a statement, the IRGC said that "dozens of ballistic missiles targeting important military and security targets" were launched in "self-defense" over the killing of Hamas Political Bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July and in response to "the intensification of the regime's evils with the support of the United States" over attacks in Gaza and Lebanon.

Israel has a multilayered approach when it comes to air defense with three main systems it can use to intercept rockets, and it was last used in April 2024, when Iran launched a barrage of 300 missiles and drones toward Israel.

"On April 14, in conjunction with the highly capable defenses of the United States and the operational coordination with other partners, they proved quite capable," Tom Karako, Director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Newsweek earlier on Tuesday.

Update 10/01/24 2:13 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to include more information.

Update 10/01/24 3:20 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to include additional information.