Shots are fired near the Jewish Museum in Washington.

Two employees of the Israeli Embassy in the United States were shot dead near the Jewish Museum in Washington. A 30-year-old man from Chicago was arrested as a suspect, according to police. He allegedly chanted a pro-Palestinian slogan ("Free, free Palestine") after his arrest.

The FBI is investigating the case as a possible hate crime. Both US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on social media about an anti-Semitic background. US Attorney General Pam Bondi assessed the situation on the scene and, in a post late last night (local time), referred to it as a "horrific shooting incident."

According to Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, the two killed were a young couple about to get engaged. The man had bought a ring this week and planned to propose to his girlfriend in Jerusalem the following week. "They were a lovely couple who had come to enjoy an evening in Washington's cultural center," the ambassador said.

It is unclear whether the suspected shooter knew the two or what connection he might have to them. According to police, the perpetrator approached a group of four people and then shot them. After the shooting, he reportedly entered the museum, where he was arrested by private security guards.

The news site Jewish Insider quoted an eyewitness as saying the shooter was wearing a scarf called a keffiyeh, also known as a Palestinian scarf. The Israeli news site ynet quoted the spokeswoman for the Israeli Embassy in Washington as saying that the embassy staff were "shot at close range."

Israel intends to increase security at its missions around the world following the attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered this, according to his office. The head of government was "shocked by the gruesome anti-Semitic murder" in the US capital. "We are witnessing the terrible price that anti-Semitism and rampant incitement against the State of Israel exact," Netanyahu said. His heart aches for the families of the young victims.

Washington's attack took place against the backdrop of the war between Israel and the Islamist Hamas group in the Gaza Strip. The war began with a Hamas terrorist attack on Israel in October 2023. About 1,200 people were killed and about 250 were abducted to Gaza.

According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, more than 53,300 Palestinians have been killed in the war in the Gaza Strip so far. The figure does not distinguish between combatants and civilians and is difficult to independently verify. Israel has faced strong international criticism for its military actions and the dire humanitarian situation in the largely devastated coastal strip.