By Michael Bachner/TPS
Tel Aviv (TPS) – After four days of fruitless efforts to locate and capture the terrorist who killed three men and injured seven in a Tel Aviv shooting attack on New Year’s Day, Israel’s police commissioner attempted to calm down residents who have since been experiencing tensions throughout the city.
“We can update that as of this morning, tensions in the Tel Aviv area can be significantly reduced,” said Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh on Tuesday, January 5, during a condolence visit at a victim’s house. Alsheikh said he would not elaborate any further so as to not harm the ongoing investigation.
Since Friday, January 1, Israeli police have been combing through Tel Aviv and the surrounding cities for 30-year-old Nashat Melhem, an Israeli Arab from Arara in northern Israel, who is suspected of committing the attack.
Security footage shows Melhem exiting a grocery store in the late afternoon on Friday, and starting to shoot civilians at a popular bar on Dizengoff Street. Two people were killed and seven were wounded. According to the police, the shooter then fled by taxi towards the city’s northern neighborhoods, where he murdered the taxi driver, abandoned the taxi and fled.
The terrorist has since evaded the police, who have many forces searching for him and responding to any reported sightings of him by citizens.
Melhem’s father, who had condemned his son’s actions and called upon him to turn himself in, was arrested on Tuesday, January 5 under the suspicion of assisting his son. Unconfirmed reports on the same day indicated that it is possible that Melhem managed to flee and reach northern Israel.
Israeli Chief of Police Roni Alsheikh explained during his visit to victim Alon Bakal’s home that no updates on the investigation were being published in the media since it would hinder the investigation.
“We are focused on one single objective, which is to capture the murderer,” said Alsheikh, whose previous position was deputy head of the Shin Bet. “That’s our job, and we will not do anything that disrupts or hinders the pursuit.”
“This is why we have adopted a policy of not communicating or publicizing details of the investigation,” added Alsheikh. “Every such detail reduces our ability to achieve quick results, and endangers our forces’ safety.”
Alsheikh also delivered condolences to the families of the other two victims of Friday’s attack, Shimon Ruimi and taxi driver Amin Shaaban. “I also wish a full recovery to all those wounded in the terrorist attack.”