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Three Dead in Tel Aviv Terror Attack. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired June 08, 2016 - 15:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: -- during this attack.

[15:30:02] So, to keep -- the context, the extent of the injuries. Remember, we were told nine of them were injured, one of them critical. The latest update since then is that three of those people have now died, Hala.

HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it's certainly starting to emerge, Phil, as though this was a mass shooting. Clearly an attack on a soft target right now based on all of the initial preliminary details we're getting from this very fast developing story with potentially a third shooter on the loose.

Oren Liebermann, that's what your sources are saying as well, potentially, that there's someone else which would mean security forces are really going through this area very carefully, making sure that all of the people in that neighborhood are evacuated well away from this site, from the site of this attack and making sure that everybody is safe.

And, by the way, this is brand new video coming to us there from the Sarona Market area in Tel Aviv.

Oren, tell us what your police source is saying about the attack and the possibility that someone, a gunman, may still be on the loose.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Police haven't ruled that out yet. They still are searching. They have blocked off a number of roads in that area. They essentially blocked off the entire area and evacuated the Sarona Market, the shops, the restaurants that are in that market, and all of the people that would have been in such a popular area on night like tonight as they keep searching.

As Mickey Rosenfeld said, they have two, one captured, one arrested, but they haven't ruled out the possibility that there may be somebody else out there. That is a measure of the concern that they have and the security they want to make sure remains in the area after this.

Phil had mentioned a soft target. There have been some concerns about security at the Sarona Market because of how open it is, how nice it is to walk around. We've been there quite a number of times and it's that pleasantness that makes it popular. It's also that pleasantness that appears to have made it a target in this case. GORANI: And we're seeing the images -- I want to tell our viewers, by

the way, that we're seeing these images for the first time, Channel 2 in Israel is broadcasting images from the scene. It looks sort of -- is it like a shopping mall with restaurants and outdoor cafes, that kind of thing, Oren?

LIEBERMANN: Exactly, and there are a number of shops and restaurants there. That's exactly what it is. It's open. You can walk around. There's an open park essentially right in the middle of it to give some open area and then it's a number of shops that are right next to each other.

On a busy night, it's crowded in there. It's popular. People go there to eat, drink and shop and that's what makes it such a nice area and that's -- and as we've seen tonight, that's what made it a target here.

GORANI: And authorities are also saying, well, OK, they have apprehended two people. Potentially, there's someone else, though we know in the aftermath of these attacks there's a bit of confusion and reports that someone else is involved. We'll see if that pans out.

But importantly, authorities are saying we need to go through the shopping mall and this area to make sure there's no explosive devices or any more danger that would put, you know, the safety of people in that area in jeopardy, right? I mean, they are still there. This is ongoing, Oren, correct?

LIEBERMANN: Right. Explosive devices are always a concern. They have been -- that's not new. They have been here for decades after the wave of explosive devices we saw used during the second intifada. So, explosive devices are always a possibility, and police units, sapper units, will always check an area to make sure that there are none, and if they find any to remove them so that will be the concern. That will be going on as police are searching the area to make sure there's other shooter, no other attacker in the area.

So, all of that is a question the police are trying to sort out right now and to figure out while keeping these civilians in that area safe, as Mickey Rosenfeld had mentioned. The next step is to figure out where the attackers came from. If they came in from the West Bank, how did they get weapons from the west bank into Israel? That will be a question police will have to figure out moving forward.

GORANI: All right. Phil Black, because -- explain what it's like moving, if you're a Palestinian in the West Bank into Israel. What kind of checks? What kind of checkpoints? I mean, bringing in heavy weapons from the West Bank would not be the easiest thing in the world to achieve, if that's the case, if that's what happened.

BLACK: That's why -- you know, one of the reasons why these sorts of events are so rare here really and why in recent months, certainly last six months or so, we have seen Palestinians resorting to much more simple, far less sophisticated attacks, and you heard Mickey Rosenfeld, the police spokesman, talking about knife attacks. That's what's been happening here a lot over the last six months or so. It started late last year. There was a real spike. It has eased off

considerably in recent weeks and months, but it's still become a really consistent, really permanent part of the security landscape here.

These are individuals simply acting alone most of the time, launching themselves with very little warning at Israelis and particularly Israeli soldiers, police, security forces trying to do them harm. That's been the reality lately. Weapons and gun attacks like this are far more rare.

[15:35:01] And what you're touching on there are the very, very tough security checks that exist between the Palestinian areas and the West Bank and when they try to access the state of Israel itself.

There are very, very thorough I.D. checks, body checks, often vehicle checks and so forth as well. Moving weapons across these points is incredibly difficult. So, yes, it will be a key part moving forward, to try and determine just where these weapons came from, how they got them into Israel itself, Hala.

GORANI: All right. As they put there, Phil, I just want our viewers to understand the lay of the land of Sarona Market in Tel Aviv.

It's a big complex. It was opened in -- I'm looking here in 2015, so, it's really about a year old. It's a very big indoor restaurant, market. It's open seven days a week. It's got 91 stores. It's got stalls, et cetera, and it was established to be essentially a center for Israeli cuisine.

So, as Phil and also Oren were describing a few minutes ago, this is some place where young people, people who want to enjoy a warm evening in an open air market in an outdoor cafe, that's where they were assemble and really this would be, if this w chosen for that reason, a soft target. It would be quite easy to take aim at civilians really just enjoying a night out.

Now, I want to recap for our viewers watching us all around the world exactly what we're covering here, and police are now saying that three people were killed in a mass shooting in Tel Aviv. Earlier reports said nine people were wounded in this terrorist attack.

The shooting took place, as I was mentioning there, at Sarona Market. It's a popular market, open air area. Police say they have detained two, quote, "terrorists", in their word, suspects, potentially, there's a third suspect on the loose. This is also something that they are looking into.

And, importantly, they are saying they have evacuated the area because at this stage what they want to make sure of is that there are no explosive devices, no more threats to individuals in the area. We are hearing, as I mentioned, three people killed, several injured. Several of those who have been injured in very serious condition in the hospital.

Oren Liebermann, if you can still hear me, are you still on the phone with us?

LIEBERMANN: Yes, I'm still with you.

GORANI: All right. So, three individuals killed in this particular attack. Several people injured. They are calling it a mass shooting, the authorities. This is what they are confirming?

LIEBERMANN: Correct, a mass shooting, a terrorist attack, right in the center of Tel Aviv.

Let me give you a little more context about the market itself. You mentioned the number of shops there. Let me tell you what's around it. First, it's on the major highway that surrounds Tel Aviv so it's very easy access. But it's also a much softer target. Just north of it is the ministry of defense, which is very heavily guarded and very heavily secured for obvious reasons.

And next to that is one of the more popular shopping malls in Tel Aviv, one of the biggest. That also has very heavy security, obviously, a place that civilians would gather but very difficult to target because of that security. Meanwhile, the Sarona Market, a short walk away, a mile from Tel Aviv's beach, is open. It's that openness that draws people to it. It's that openness that would have brought the people there to those shops, to those restaurants tonight.

GORANI: All right. Let's talk a little bit about the possibility that someone else is on the loose here. This is what you're hearing from your police sources. Mickey Rosenfeld was saying we're not 100 percent sure that that's the case. We do know two individuals were apprehended, one shot.

We're starting, by the way, Oren, to hear reports that one individual was shot right outside of this open market area after having opened fire on some of these people outside, the civilians there enjoying that night out at Sarona Market. Tell us more about what police are saying they are still instigating, Oren?

LIEBERMANN: Well, in the immediate phase right now, it will be figuring out if there really is a third person or anybody else on the loose after this. Mickey says or Mickey Rosenfeld says there are at least two that they are -- one is captured. One was shot and killed, and they are looking for the third one.

Regardless whether there is or is not a third one, they will still block off that entire area. Streets going in all directions as they continue to search and see if there are any explosive devices planted anywhere. That's another critical part of what they are doing right now is seeing if there were any devices planted anywhere.

We have seen those in the past few months. They have not been common, sort of rudimentary IED that explodes. It injured soldiers in recent months though, again, not that common. Still, it's a precaution that police will take.

Again, the next phase will be figuring out where these attackers came from. Were they in Israel, were they in the West Bank and how did they get weapons in?

We have seen guns used a few times. Generally, they are rudimentary rifles, called Carl Gustav rifles.

[15:40:00] We don't know if that's what used here. But those are fairly easy to manufacture. They are not easy to get in, but people have succeeded in getting them through these numerous checkpoints between the West Bank and Israel.

So, we have seen them used before. That will be part of the question. Were they used in this case? If not, what was the weapon of choice and how did they get it into the heart of Tel Aviv?

GORANI: All right. Haviv Gur from "The Times of Israel" joins us now.

Haviv, what are you hearing from your sources about what happened and whether authorities believe another suspect, another gunman is on the loose here?

HAVIV GUR, TIMES OF ISRAEL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Police have confirmed just about three or four minutes ago that they have called off the search for a third gunman.

GORANI: OK.

GUR: So, we have two gunmen, one is neutralized and wounded and going into surgery right now at Tel Aviv hospital. The second one, his condition is not immediately known but we know police have neutralized them which means that it might be killed, might be wounded. That's a situation right now with the gunmen.

GORANI: So police calling off the search for potentially a third suspect. Do they believe that essentially that area is clear now of attackers?

GUR: Yes. Right now they are actually distancing the crowds that naturally gravitate towards this sort of incident. It's obviously in central Tel Aviv in an area, you know, with a lot of people. They are saying that there are quite possibly undetonated explosive devices.

We've known terror attacks in the past where bombs were waiting for rescue crews who came afterwards so right now there's that search and all of -- you know, the chief of police is right now at the scene, and the prime minister, as well as several ministers, the heads of security agencies are convening a meeting to discuss either -- you know, what information they have and what the next steps might be.

GORANI: What do we know about the victims rights now? We understand three killed. This is what authorities are telling us and many more wounded.

GUR: Yes. We have at least nine casualties. Three of them confirmed killed by a Tel Aviv hospital. It's not clear if the shooters are in that number or not. There's still a little, bit of confusion about the numbers. But the victims are quite badly hurt. In other words, they are obviously pretty wounded but also of the remainder most are seriously or moderately hurt which when you're talking about gunshots, that's extremely hurt. In other words, that's wounds that you might not survive.

So it's likely that the shooters knew what they were doing, and this looks to be really one of the most skilled terror attacks in recent months which we've seen quite a few of these attacks.

GORANI: Yes, because as our correspondents Phil Black and Oren Liebermann were explaining, many of the attacks had been knife attacks. It's been a very long time really in Tel Aviv that an attack of this magnitude, that appears well organized, has actually taken place, right?

GUR: Right. These are shooters coordinated. It looks like the firearm itself was some sort of a homemade device or somehow altered. So, these appear, again, you know, it happened exactly an hour ago, and we still don't have many of the details, and some of the details are conflicting.

It appears as though these people knew what they were doing which suggests training, which suggests planning. We're going to know a lot more. We don't yet have their identities including Palestinian media has not yet reported their identities and no one on Palestinian side has claimed responsibility.

No terror group has said, you know, anything about this, so right now, everything is extremely preliminary, but there's no question that this was very, very serious attack, and it targeted a very popular mall and shopping area. It was meant to make quite an impression.

GORANI: And this shopping area, typically, would you expect younger people to be at that time of night? I mean, who would usually frequent an area like Sarona Market in Tel Aviv?

GUR: Certainly, it's a lot of cafes and bars. It is right in central Tel Aviv. It's one of the favorite haunts for nighttime, you know, for grabbing a drink, for meeting friends at night for the young crowd in Tel Aviv, the 20-somethings. So, this targeted exactly that crowd. It targeted young people out on the town.

GORANI: All right. By the way, Haviv, we're hearing on Twitter from the spokesperson of the prime minister saying in the wake of tonight's terrorist attack in Tel Aviv, the prime minister will convene shortly a meeting with the D.M., the police and ISA chief.

What is D.M., if you can educate me here, a meeting with the D.M.?

GUR: The defense minister of Israel Avigdor Lieberman --

GORANI: OK.

GUR: -- who is head of the army, the Shinbet security agency, all of the security services are meeting actually next door to the army the shooting happened.

The prime minister landed in Israel from a visit to Moscow just in the last few minutes and immediately is heading there. And obviously, this is the beginning of the story and we'll see more and more information come out and Israel's reaction.

GORANI: And, Haviv, this is close to the defense ministry in Tel Aviv, right?

GUR: Yes, a lot of things are very close. The defense -- the headquarters of the army are in this compound in central Tel Aviv. It's been there for six decades, but -- so, it' really in the center of a lot of the sort of booming area, but, yeah, that's next door.

Now, these people didn't target army headquarters. They targeted the shopping area where obviously people are not soldiers.

GORANI: Yes, indeed. Would you expect more security around there because you have official buildings like the defense ministry, or is it really just open air with just people enjoying a night out on a Wednesday night at 9:30 without much security? What -- what's the setup like there?

GUR: Well, it's actually an important point to make. It's -- we have a report from the police in April that said that the Sarona Market is actually not secure enough. It doesn't have the proper security guards. There are too many entrances. Police have actually warned that this place is not secure against terror attacks.

So it looks -- it's possible that these people knew that. In other words, to suggest that there might have been reconnaissance, intelligence gathering ahead of time for this attack. Again, it's another piece of circumstantial evidence that points to serious planning and sort of a more serious level of terrorism as you say than what we've seen so far.

GORANI: All right. Haviv Gur from "The Times of Israel" -- thanks very much for joining us there on the phone, as we continue to cover this story out of Tel Aviv.

Police now say three people have been killed in a mass shooting. Earlier reports said nine people were wounded in this terrorist attack. Now, as we've been discussing with our correspondents and our guests, this shooting took place near a very popular market called Sarona Market. It's been open for a couple of years, year and a half or so, and police say they have detained two individuals, two terrorists, they say.

A "Times of Israel" correspondent, as we were discussing there with Haviv Gur, told us moments ago that authorities are calling off the search for a third suspect. So, it appears as though we're talking two suspects here, both detained, one shot and in surgery, the other one in custody and currently being questioned.

Phil Black, at least it appears as though there is no third attacker on the loose, so some sense of relief there on that front. BLACK: Yes, that's right. Police believe it's believed the two

shooters were involved and they believe they stopped. But as you heard from them, they are still ensuring that there is no further potential threat to life at this location. No sort of explosive device, no one else possibly hurt, waiting in the wings, that sort of thing.

But they believe it was just the two at this stage. They are now continuing the search of the area. It's been shut down significantly.

And so what they are following through now is the usual process, ensuring there is no further threat from this point, from this particular attack and then looking further afield. How did this happen and looking to see whether or not there is any possible threat from the same direction because what it's really marked about this particular incident given recent history here is the coordination, the clear level of planning and organization, the use of a firearm. This has been rare here in recent weeks and months.

So, authorities who will be looking to see how it happened, where the weapon came from and then you will see a marked step up in security itself, both in terms of perceived threat but also as a statement no doubt from the Israeli authorities as well -- Hala.

GORANI: All right. Phil Black, we'll get back to you.

Michael Oren is a former Israeli ambassador to the United States. He is also ambassador in residence at the Atlantic Council. He's a member of the Knesset as well.

Michael Oren, we've spoken a lot over the years, and your role as Israeli ambassador to the United States and Washington. But you now live in Tel Aviv, and I you understand you're not far from where this attack unfolded. Is that correct?

MICHAEL OREN, FORMER ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO U.S. (via telephone): That's correct, Hala. I'm within walking distance of where the attacks (INAUDIBLE)

GORANI: And did you hear sirens? Did you see anything?

OREN: Yes, there's sirens. They closed off the entire area. It is a new very popular area in Tel Aviv.

It was -- formerly, it was a settlement of a German missionary group from the 1860s and 1870s, the templars and all the buildings have been renovated and turned into rather upscale restaurants and shopping areas and very popular among both residents of Tel Aviv and tourists.

[15:50:14] So, the terrorists obviously picked out the site very purposefully for maximum effect.

GORANI: And the reporter with "The Times of Israel" was saying essentially that this area has been singled out as potentially not being as secure as it could be, that it could have been sort of considered as a soft target. Now, sadly, we're seeing that the attackers chose it specifically for that reason. What do you -- I mean, is that something you agree with?

OREN: I would beg to differ. What's strange about it is that this area is right across the street from the equivalent of Israel's Pentagon.

GORANI: Uh-huh.

OREN: So, there is, by definition, a strong military presence in that area. Formerly, it was actually part of that Pentagon. Pentagon actually left that area and gave it back to the city of Tel Aviv. It was developed as a tourist spot.

And the entrance to the restaurants has the usual security guard outside. I don't think there was any less or lesser degree or diminished security in this area, but the presence of Israel's really military hub right across the street would tend to, I think, militate against the chance of a major terrorist attack there.

GORANI: Now, we know there is a new defense minister in Israel who is leaning a lot more to the right than his predecessor. This is going to be a political test for this recomposed government of Benjamin Netanyahu, right? I mean, what can we expect now? This appears to be a major coordinated attack on a civilian target in Tel Aviv.

OREN: Well, the new defense minister is Avigdor Lieberman from the Israel Home Party.

GORANI: Uh-huh.

OREN: It is another right-wing party in the coalition. My party is the centrist party in the coalition. He has called for a much stronger position against terror.

And this, as you said, will be his first test and it's quite a big test. We experienced starting last October, a series of stabbing attacks, mostly stabbing attacks that were carried out by young people. The previous defense minister, Moshe Ya'alon, was able to work eventually with the Palestinian security forces and greatly reduce the number of those attacks.

This is of an entirely different magnitude. This was apparently not a young person who picked up a knife or scissors. These were people with automatic weapons. And as far as I know, now the searches are still on in the greater, downtown Tel Aviv.

GORANI: And have you been briefed -- I mean, do you have more information on what weapons were used? You mentioned automatic weaponry.

OREN: Well, I don't, other than the fact that they are now saying that three people have been killed and five have been injured. That would tend to indicate that the weapons used were very deadly.

GORANI: All right. Thank you very much, Michael, the former Israeli ambassador to the United States. He's also a member of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in Tel Aviv

joining us there. He just lives about a block away, he was saying, from where this attack took place. You could hear sirens and was describing the area as essentially an area very popular with tourists. It's a culinary center, with restaurants, shops and stalls, et cetera. It opened in 2015. So, you can imagine people just going about their business and having a meal and this terrible attack unfolding there in Tel Aviv, about 9:30 p.m. local time.

Let's go to Boaz Ganor, he's the executive director for the Institute for Counterterrorism. He is also in Tel Aviv tonight.

Mr. Ganor, first, I've got to ask you, we've seen other attacks in Tel Aviv, usually knife attacks, smaller scale attacks, cars ramming pedestrians, et cetera, that kind of thing. But if this is indeed a coordinated attack with automatic weapons, what does that tell you?

BOAZ GANOR, EXECUTIVE DIR., INSTITUTE FOR COUNTER-TERRORISM (via telephone): well, it tells me that once we are safe in here is an organized attack. Unlike what we have seen in this recent wave of terrorism in Tel Aviv, which was maybe a stabbing attack, or lone wolves type of attacks, those were terrorists, Palestinian terrorists, youngsters that were not connected operationally wise to (INAUDIBLE) other terrorist organization.

Here, as you mentioned, we see a terrorist attack which is coordinated by at least two terrorists with automatic weapon. This is probably an organized attack, meaning there is an organization behind that, that initiated the attack, planned it and executed it.

[15:55:00] GORANI: But also because, I mean, acquiring weapons, weapons of war, really, in this case, is not an easy thing to do. I mean, you would have to know suppliers, figure out a way to smuggle them, to get it to a very sensitive area, because reminding our viewers, these are meters away, yards away from the defense ministry in Tel Aviv.

GANOR: Yes, that's true. But I will have to say that there is not necessarily a shortage in automatic weapons among terrorists (INAUDIBLE) in Gaza and even in the West Bank. We don't know what the identity of those terrorists, might be terrorists, who infiltrated from the West Bank to Tel Aviv because it's not sealed, the border between the West Bank and Israel. We've seen many others that infiltrated before. And if they did, it's not that complicated that they would take with them their guns from their base.

GORANI: All right. Boaz Ganor, thanks very much. He's an expert in counterterrorism.

Dr. Gil Fire is on the line from Tel Aviv. He's a deputy director at Ichilov Hospital, where many of the injured are being taken.

Doctor, can you please update us on how many of the victims you've received and what their condition is, please?

DR. GIL FIRE, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, ICHILOV HOSPITAL (via telephone): We have received ten patients. Unfortunately, three of them were in very, very bad condition while arriving. They are now -- we had to declare their death (INAUDIBLE) hospital. We have four more or five more. One is bad condition, the others are now more stable and two more that are in (INAUDIBLE) condition. Ten patients, one of those shot the wounded (INAUDIBLE)

GORANI: Doctor, just so I can recap here and summarize what you've told me, ten patients at your hospital as a result of this attack. Of them, three are deceased. Is that correct?

FIRE: Yes. That's right. Yes.

GORANI: And seven -- therefore, that leaves seven injured and of the seven injured, five are in serious condition?

FIRE: No. Four -- five are in serious condition. That's right.

GORANI: And the other two are in less serious condition and --

FIRE: (INAUDIBLE) condition. They will be okay.

GORANI: They will be okay?

FIRE: They have wounds and injuries but that's all.

GORANI: So, three deceased, five in serious condition. And you're saying that one of the injured is one of the attackers, you believe, correct?

FIRE: Probably, yes. Probably, yes. When he came here, he was in full consciousness and people talk and now he's in the operation room because he was shot.

GORANI: He was shot. And so he came to your hospital, the attacker, you believe, shot. Can you tell us, of the five who were seriously injured, what kind of wounds did they -- what kind of injury here or wounds did they sustain?

FIRE: Gunshot wounds mostly in their chest and abdomen.

GORANI: Chest and abdomen, do you know what kind of weapon was used? Were you able to determine the wounds based on the injuries?

FIRE: No. We have here the police and all who investigated, this is not something I can give you information about. No.

GORANI: OK. You have, as I mentioned there, the three sadly deceased. And the two who were lightly injured, are they able to leave the hospital today or are you keeping them there?

FIRE: Yes, I believe so. I believe they will leave the hospital today.

GORANI: All right. And this is something, as we were mentioning there with the police who were speaking and our reporters, you haven't seen anything like this in quite a while, right? FIRE: Right. We have events from a few years, when Tel Aviv was

under frequent attacks but in the last years, this was not common. I'm very sad about the results, three patients but I think (INAUDIBLE)

GORANI: All right.

FIRE: (INAUDIBLE)

GORANI: All right. Dr. Fire, thank you for joining us, the deputy director of Ichilov Hospital there.

Many of the people who are injured and killed sadly in this attack taken to Ichilov. Three dead, five seriously injured, two lightly injured in this mass shooting in Tel Aviv.

We will have a lot more on this story with my colleague Jake Tapper who picks it up in Washington. I'm Hala Gorani. Thanks for watching.