Eritreans arrested in Tel Aviv knife brawl, one asylum seeker killed

Fifteen asylum seekers were arrested by police for involved in a suspect knife brawl in which 10 Eritreans were injured.

Police guard while Eritrean asylum seekers who oppose the regime in Eritrea protest outside a conference of regime supporters in south Tel Aviv, September 2, 2023 (photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)
Police guard while Eritrean asylum seekers who oppose the regime in Eritrea protest outside a conference of regime supporters in south Tel Aviv, September 2, 2023
(photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)

A Sudanese asylum seeker was killed and nine Eritreans were injured in two incidents in Tel Aviv's Hatikvah neighborhood early on Saturday morning, Israel Police said.

Fifteen asylum seekers were arrested by police for involved in a suspect knife brawl in which 10 Eritreans were injured.

Two men, a 40-year-old and a 20-year-old, were seriously injured in the brawl. In addition, three more were considered in moderate condition while the rest were suffering from light wounds.

Magen David Adom paramedics treated the injuries on the scene and evacuated them to Ichilov, Wolfson, Beilinson and Sheba hospitals, respectively.

According to police, the incident developed over an argument on the regime in Eritrea. Earlier in September, Hundreds of police officers and refugees were injured as protests in Tel Aviv by Eritrean asylum seekers against the East African nation's regime turned violent. 

At least 160 people were injured in total, eight in a serious condition, 13 in moderate, and 93 sustaining light injuries. The Eritreans were shouting, waving sticks and throwing stones to protest their government and a cultural event it was hosting in the city. 

 Eritrean asylum seekers who oppose the regime in Eritrea protest outside a conference of regime supporters in south Tel Aviv, September 2, 2023 (credit: ITAI RON/FLASH90)
Eritrean asylum seekers who oppose the regime in Eritrea protest outside a conference of regime supporters in south Tel Aviv, September 2, 2023 (credit: ITAI RON/FLASH90)

Sudanese asylum seeker killed in drug-related conflict

In a separate incident early on Saturday morning, an asylum seeker was killed in a suspected drug-related conflict with local criminals.

The 33-year-old Sudanese man was fatally shot at the scene.

Israel Police Tel Aviv district chief Peretz Amar led a situational assessment with senior police officials on Saturday amid rising violence among the asylum seekers community of southern Tel Aviv.