Seven dead in shooting and knife attack in Tel Aviv

Seven people were killed in a shooting and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv, police in Israel confirmed.

Several other people were injured, some seriously, when a gunman opened fire on the population in the Jaffa area.

The deadly attack began in a train carriage and continued on the platform, local police said in a statement.

Footage posted on social media showed motionless bodies scattered on the street.

Police said the gunman and another attacker armed with a knife were “neutralized” by the public and described the motive as “terror.”

The identity of the perpetrators was not revealed. Some Israeli media previously reported the death toll at eight, although it is unclear whether this included the attackers.

The shooting occurred shortly before an Iranian missile attack on Israel began.

Local police could be seen taking cover as rockets and anti-aircraft missiles flew over the city and air raid sirens wailed.

Witnesses described the shooting, including Benjamin Ratzon, who told Reuters: “People were lying on the ground and telling me to bend over.”

“I saw the terrorist facing me. He wanted to do something and security arrived at the scene and ran towards him.”

Another witness told The Jerusalem Post they initially mistook the shots for fireworks before realizing “it was something much worse.”

They added: “There was a lot of gunfire. We fell to the ground and people were crying. I saw someone bleeding on the ground.”

One shop owner said he quickly closed his shutters when he saw “crowds of people running and shouting 'terrorist attack'.”

Haartez quoted an eyewitness who was in a synagogue at the time of the attack.

“Among the believers were paramedics who volunteer with the MDA (Israel's Ambulance Service).

“We treated a wounded man in the synagogue and then ran into the street to help other wounded people.”