Suspect in Tel Aviv murders shot dead: minister

An Israeli Arab wanted for the murder of three people in Tel Aviv on December 31 was killed by security forces after being on the run for over a week.

The gunman who allegedly killed three Israelis last week in Tel Aviv was shot and killed by Israeli forces in northern Israel.

The gunman had been identified as Nashat Milhem, an Arab from northern Israel who had been working at a grocery store in Tel Aviv before the attack. They added that the 29 year old, was the gunman who killed two Israelis at a bar, and an Israeli Arab driver of a taxi who picked him up after the attack.

The Israeli authorities had been reluctant to specify the motives of the attack.

According to Channel 2, the breakthrough in the case came two days ago, when police found a personal item of Melhem’s near Umm al-Fahm, which helped narrow the search.

The Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange (Tase) expects to attract more global investors following a strategic agreement with exchange provider Nasdaq. At the time, police said they were searching for weapons and claimed the shooting was in self-defense. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh had praised the terrorist the previous day, saying that Melhem “went in the streets of Tel Aviv like a courageous hero in order to bring them death”.

Israeli Arabs, who make up a fifth of the country’s 8.4 million people, enjoy full rights but often face unfair treatment in areas such as housing and employment opportunities.

“When the family complies with the demands of the Israel Police, which are meant to ensure that the terrorist’s funeral does not turn into a rally in support of terror and incitement to further attacks – the body will be released”, Erdan said.

A wave of violence in the West Bank and Jerusalem already in its fourth month has created a volatile atmosphere among Israelis and Palestinians.

Residents of Melhem’s hometown told Israeli media that his family had known that he was hiding in an abandoned home owned by the family since the shooting and that he had been receiving food and other assistance from local residents.

Since October the same year, almost 150 Palestinians, including children and women, have been killed in the clashes with Israelis. These figures do not include Milhelm’s victims.