A Canadian citizen was killed Monday after threatening local Israeli security officials with a knife near the Gaza border, Israeli authorities said.
Israeli authorities said the man, who had a Canadian passport on him, had driven to the outpost and got out of the car wielding a knife.
The man was yelling “Free Palestine” and “You are killing civilians in Gaza” before being shot, according to Israel’s Kan public broadcaster.
“The rapid response team responded with fire and neutralized the suspect. No injuries to the security forces were reported.”
The incident took place by the entrance of the town of Netiv HaAsara, about 300 metres north of the Gaza border. It comes at a time when stabbings are on the rise in Gaza, a region that has been at war after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, leaving 1,200 casualties and taking more than 240 people hostage.
Israeli police said the attacker arrived at the outpost from within Israeli territory, and not from the Gaza Strip.
“Global Affairs Canada is aware of an incident involving a Canadian citizen in Israel,” wrote spokesperson Charlotte MacLeod. “Due to privacy considerations, no further information can be disclosed at this time.”
The Israeli security team member who first saw the attacker described the encounter in an interview posted by the IDF on YouTube.
“A white vehicle arrived at the gate of the settlement, and I went to check on the driver. He got out of the vehicle armed with a knife,” he said, adding that he demanded the attacker drop the knife while two colleagues from the security team came to assist him.
“The terrorist lunged at me with the knife, and we started shooting at him.”
He said that despite the trauma the village experienced after Oct. 7 and after Monday’s incident, he is still hopeful.
“We will return again and thrive here,” he said.
