OTTAWA — Israeli police say a Canadian citizen was killed Monday after threatening local security officials with a knife near the border with the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military says the man drove to the entrance of the town of Netiv HaAsara, just 300 metres north of the Gaza border. The military says the man left his vehicle with a knife and approached the local security patrol, who opened fire and killed him.
There were no other injuries, the military said, providing a photo of a kitchen knife with a black handle. The rescue service Zaka also said nobody was injured.
A video with no sound shows security officials pointing guns at a vehicle, from which a man exits, runs briefly and falls to the ground.
Israeli police told The Associated Press the man was Canadian, though the Israeli military would not confirm the nationality, instead saying that "the suspect is a foreign national who arrived in the area from within Israeli territory, and not from the Gaza Strip."
Israel's ambassador to Canada posted the military statement on X. Unconfirmed reports have named the man, while some claim he is an American citizen.
Canada's consular officials in Israel are gathering information on the episode, a spokeswoman said.
"Global Affairs Canada is aware of an incident involving a Canadian citizen in Israel," wrote Charlotte MacLeod. "Due to privacy considerations, no further information can be disclosed at this time."
The development comes amid a wave of stabbings during the nine-month war in Gaza, which Israel launched after Hamas militants killed 1,200 people, including soldiers, in an attack last October.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military on Monday ordered the evacuation of part of an area in the Gaza Strip it has designated a humanitarian zone, saying it is planning to begin an operation against Hamas militants who have embedded themselves in the area and used it to launch rockets toward Israel.
The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip says nearly 39,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's war on the territory, including militants.
Canada for months has called for a ceasefire and more humanitarian aid to reach the territory, where most buildings have been damaged and where the United Nations says no place is safe for the 2.2 million Palestinians living there.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 22, 2024.
Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
