Police on Tuesday arrested the father of Nahat Melhem, suspected of carrying out the terror attack on a Tel Aviv pub on Friday that killed three and wounded several more.
Five others were arrested along with Mohammed Melhem on suspicion of acting as an accessory to murder, while his mother was detained for questioning.
Meanwhile, details from the investigation emerged, suggesting that Melhem may have escaped to northern Israel.
As time goes by – the search for the killer is now on its fifth day – the belief is growing among police that the suspect received help after escaping his crime scenes, which is why it decided to focus its investigation on the Melhem family.
Despite these assessments, Tel Aviv Police has continued to operate at peak alert levels as the hunt goes on for the loose gunman.