Man suspected to be behind bar attack that killed two is Arab Israeli whose relative was allegedly killed by police

The man suspected of being behind a gun attack at a Tel Aviv bar that killed two people and left seven wounded has been described as an unstable individual whose cousin was allegedly killed by Israeli border police in 2006.

The 29-year-old Arab Israeli allegedly attacked the busy city centre location on Friday, at a time of heightened tensions between Israelis and Palestinians following a wave of knife attacks in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The suspect, whose name has been withheld by police, is believed to be from Arara in the Wadi Ara area of northern Israel, and has reportedly served time for trying to snatch a soldier’s weapon.

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He is alleged to have stolen a gun on Friday from his father, a volunteer with the Israeli police. His father contacted police after seeing security footage images, alleged to be of his son, which were screened across Israeli media.

The attacker targeted the Simta pub on Dizengoff Street, a major arterial route in Tel Aviv, killing Alon Bakal, 26, and Shimon Ruimi, 30. Another seven people were injured, two of them seriously.

The suspect’s father urged Israeli security forces to detain his son as soon as possible, fearing he would strike again, according to Israeli media.

“What is important to me now is that they reach my son and arrest him, because he is still armed,” the Ynet news website quoted him as saying. “I am worried and I want to hear that he is in police hands.”

A relative of the suspect told the Haaretz newspaper that he had a history of involvement in violent incidents, and said that in recent years his family had occasionally called the police because of his aggression.

“We know he was being treated for mental [health issues],” the relative claimed. “We haven’t heard much about him recently. He wasn’t married and we always suspected he was unstable.”

In 2006, the suspect’s cousin was allegedly killed by border police during a home search. He subsequently struggled with depression, according to his family, who also said he attacked a soldier with a screwdriver in 2007, lightly wounding him. During his interrogation, he allegedly said he wanted to avenge his cousin’s death.

Israeli forces are conducting a widespread search for the suspect, including in his home region. The father was questioned on Friday evening, and computers and items from the family home were reportedly seized as part of the investigation into the attack.

There is growing evidence to suggest the attack was linked to domestic issues, but Israel has been preparing for an attack by Isis, which has a small but growing following among Arab Israelis.