2021 Jerusalem shooting | |
---|---|
Part of the Gaza-Israel conflict | |
Location | Jerusalem |
Date | 21 November 2021 (2 years ago) |
Weapon | Carlo-type submachine gun[1] |
Deaths | 1 victim, 1 perpetrator |
Injured | 4 victims |
Perpetrator | Fadi Abu Shkhaydam |
Motive | Palestinian nationalism[2] |
On 21 November 2021, a shooting took place in the Old City of Jerusalem. Fadi Abu Shkhaydem, a 42-year-old Palestinian from East Jerusalem[3] killed a 26 year old Israeli,[4] who had made aliyah from South Africa in 2019.[5][6] He injured four others (including a rabbi)[3] before being shot dead by police.[7]
The shooting started as the targets were making their way to prayer.[8] Israeli authorities recorded that Abu Shkhaydem shot the tour guide multiple times,[9] and was later pronounced dead at the Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Kerem. The gunman also wounded a rabbi and seriously injured a yeshiva student. Policemen quickly responded by firing at the shooter, killing him. Two of the police officers sustained mild injuries.[3][8]
The gunman, Fadi Abu Shkhaydem, was a high school teacher at the Rashidiya school[10] from the Shuafat neighbourhood of Jerusalem.[11][12] He was widely known to be a Hamas member and regularly preached sermons at the Temple Mount, in addition to taking part in demonstrations against Israeli tourism in the area.[10]
His wife, who had gone to Jordan three days before to visit her sick mother,[13] was arrested the next day at Allenby Bridge.[14] A police report said he that was most likely politically motivated by "nationalist reasons".[15] In January 2022 the Abu Shkhaydem's house was given a demolition order as part of a general Israeli policy.[16]
The Temple Mount was closed to visitors immediately following the shooting attack. Later that day, Hamas confirmed that the attacker was a member of their group and hailed the attack as a "heroic operation". This was the second attack in Jerusalem's Old City in four days, and the first Israeli civilian casualty since the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis.[17][18]
Many Israeli authorities and organizations condemned the attack, including Isaac Herzog, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, and Naftali Bennett.[19]
The following day, France and the United States Department of State both released a condemnation of the shooting.[20] Dimiter Tzantchev also condemned the attack as "senseless".[12]