Two Israeli embassy staff have been “executed” in a “depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism” in America.
A man and woman were killed while leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in downtown Washington DC, officials said.
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, US Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem said: “Two Israeli Embassy staff were senselessly killed near the Jewish Museum in Washington DC. Please pray for the families of the victims. We will bring this depraved perpetrator to justice.”
The shooting happened at 21:05 local time on Wednesday close to government buildings in the heart of America’s capital city.
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, said the incident was a “depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism”.
He added: “Harming diplomats and the Jewish community is crossing a red line. We are confident that the US authorities will take strong action against those responsible for this criminal act.”
Detectives are yet to establish a potential motive for the shooting but are working on the assumption the victims were targeted because of their faith.
A spokesman for the Israeli embassy confirmed that two staff members, who have not been named, were shot “at close range” while attending an event at the museum, adding: “We have full faith in law enforcement authorities on both the local and federal levels to apprehend the shooter and protect Israel’s representatives and Jewish communities throughout the United States.”
A single suspect is now in custody.
The incident comes amid rising incidents of anti-Semitism and after Britain suspended talks on a trade deal with Israel in response to the country’s military escalation in Gaza which has been described as “morally unjustifiable”.
Israel has faced a chorus of criticism over its refusal to allow supplies of food, fuel and medicine into the enclave.
On Monday former England football captain Gary Lineker, 64, was forced to quit the BBC, after apologising for sharing a social media post about Zionism which featured a picture of a rat, historically used as an anti-Semitic insult. Lineker had been due to cover the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the broadcaster but left after the incident was condemned internationally.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
