2021 Jerusalem shooting

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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]