Israel clamped down on Palestinian movements and planned to deploy more troops Thursday after Palestinian gunmen shot dead four people at a popular Tel Aviv night-spot, the deadliest attack in a months-long wave of violence. Surveillance video seemingly from the moment of the attack that spread online showed two assailants dressed in black suits and ties calmly walking into a cafe before pulling out guns and opening fire.
Most patrons fled in panic, though some fought back at the cafe at Sarona Market in Israel's commercial capital. Five people were wounded in addition to the four killed. The cafe remained open Thursday and was about half full in the afternoon. 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."
Israel's government said it was revoking entry permits for more than 80,000 Palestinians during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan in a move likely to further stoke tensions. It was also sending two additional battalions - hundreds more troops - into the occupied West Bank. Newly installed Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman ordered that the bodies of Palestinians killed while carrying out attacks no longer be returned to their families for burial, a spokesman said.
The policy is backed by Israeli hawks as a deterrent measure. Enacting it was the hard-liner's first major decision related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since he took office on May 30. Wednesday night's victims were identified as Ido Ben Aryeh, 42, Ilana Nave, 39, Michael Feige, 58, and Mila Mishayev, 32, all Israelis.
One of their attackers was arrested, while the other was under guard in hospital after being wounded by gunfire. They were identified as Khaled Mohammad Makhamrah, 22, and his cousin Mohammad Ahmad Makhamrah, 21, both from the Hebron area in the occupied West Bank.
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