Several killed in attack in Tel Aviv shortly before Iranian missiles target Israel

A man wounded in a shooting and stabbing attack in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv has died, the medical centre where he was being treated said Wednesday, bringing the number of fatalities up to seven.

"The injured person came to us in a critical condition, suffering from multi-system damage, and after doctors fought for his life, they had to pronounce him dead a short while ago," a statement from Ichilov medical centre in Tel Aviv said.

On Tuesday, Israeli police said six people were killed and 17 others wounded in the attack, which took place near Tel Aviv's light rail station in Jaffa.

The attack came as Iran fired a barrage of missiles at Israel, sending hundreds of thousands of Israelis into shelters.

Police on Wednesday published the two attackers' names and said they were residents of the Palestinian city of Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The attackers "began their killing spree when they entered the carriage of the light train that stopped at the station and fired at the passengers," police said in a statement on Wednesday.

The two were armed with an M16 weapon, cartridges and a knife, and continued on foot until police "neutralised" them, it added.

One of the attackers was shot dead and the other was seriously wounded, it said.

Overnight, the Israeli security agency and the army arrested several suspects in Hebron and Jerusalem believed to have aided the two attackers.

Israeli media identified three of the seven victims as Israeli citizens Shahar Goldman, 30, Inbar Segev Vigder, 33, and Revital Bornstein, 24. A fourth was reportedly a Georgian citizen.

Palestinian militants have carried out several attacks on Israelis since October 7, when the Islamist group Hamas attacked southern Israel, sparking war in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian militant attacks have since killed at least 26 Israelis, including members of the security forces, Israeli officials say. 

Violence in the West Bank has also surged.

According to the Palestinian health ministry, Israeli troops and settlers have killed at least 682 people in raids or attacks in the West Bank since October 7.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, and its forces regularly make incursions into Palestinian communities, which often result in heavy clashes between troops and militants.

(AFP)