A Hamas gunman opened fire near the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Sunday, killing a 26-year-old Israeli tour guide and injuring four more people.
Eliyahu Kay, a 26-year-old immigrant from South Africa, was killed in the shooting, the Time of Israel reported. Kay had moved to Israel and served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Paratroopers Brigade, until August 2019.
Police officers responding to the attack shot and killed the gunman, who was later identified as 42-year-old Fadi Abu Shkhaidem.
According to Haaretz, a spokesperson for Hamas — which the U.S. has designated as a terrorist organization — said Abu Shkhaidem was one of the group’s leaders in the Shuafat refugee camp.
Abu Shkhaidem appeared to disguise himself as an ultra-Orthodox Jewish worshiper. He was photographed holding a gun moments before the attack.
“A Hamas terrorist opened fire in the Old City of Jerusalem this morning, murdering a civilian,” the IDF tweeted with a photograph of Abu Shkhaidem. “Soon after, Hamas distributed sweets to Palestinians in Gaza and praised the ‘heroic’ terrorist. Hamas is a terrorist organization that promotes violence and must be condemned.”
Kay had been walking to work when the terrorist when Abu Shkhaidem opened fire. Kay was taken to Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus, where he was then pronounced dead. He will be buried at the Har HaMenuchot Cemetery in Jerusalem on Monday morning.
Kay is the first Israeli civilian killed by Palestinian violence since Hamas ended an 11-day series of rocket attacks against Israel in May.
Those injured in Sunday’s attack included Rabbi Zeev Katzenelnbogen, Rabbi Aaron Yehuda and two more unidentified police officers.
Following the attack Israeli police forces entered the Shuafat refugee camp and searched the Abu Shkhaidem’s home.
Responding to news of the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tweeted, “I share the grief of the family of the murdered and ask to join the prayer for the healing of the wounded, in the severe shooting attack that took place this morning in the Old City. There was a very swift action of our forces, the two policemen and the policemen who were at the scene very quickly neutralized the terrorist.”
