WASHINGTON, D.C. – Amid ongoing international accusations of genocide against Israel in Gaza, now entering its 17th month, tensions surrounding rising hostility toward Israelis have been reignited after two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. were fatally shot during an attack in which the attacker reportedly shouted, “Free Palestine!” The statement has reinforced the belief that the shooting may have been politically motivated, linked to the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

The victims, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, were fatally shot shortly after attending a reception for young diplomats at the Jewish Museum in the U.S. capital late Wednesday night. According to the Israeli Embassy, the two were engaged to be married. Reuters reported that Lischinsky held dual citizenship — German and Israeli.

Washington, D.C. police identified the 31-year-old gunman as Elias Rodriguez, a resident of Chicago. Authorities noted that Rodriguez had no prior criminal record that would have placed him on law enforcement watchlists. Media reports indicated that he had briefly been a member of the far-left Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) in 2017, a detail the party confirmed in a statement on its account on X (formerly Twitter), saying Rodriguez was no longer affiliated with the group and that it had no connection to the attack.

Elias Rodriguez, 31, of Chicago, is led away from the Jewish Museum, outside which the embassy staff members lay dead. – Videograb

According to media reports, Rodriguez fired approximately 10 shots at close range, targeting the victims, and did not flee the scene. He reportedly walked through the Jewish Museum and waited for police to arrive at the entrance. Witnesses say he shouted “Free Palestine” and stated, “I did this for Gaza.”

Investigations by the D.C. Metropolitan Police and the FBI’s counterterrorism unit concluded that Rodriguez acted alone and there was no indication of organizational involvement. Police Chief Pamela Smith confirmed that authorities had received no prior intelligence indicating a terrorist plot or hate crime in the city.

The attack occurred during an event at the Jewish Museum organized by the American Jewish Committee (AJC), a pro-Israel advocacy group focused on combating anti-Semitism, according to its website. An online invitation described the gathering as a reception for young diplomats and Jewish professionals between the ages of 22 and 45, as well as members of the diplomatic community in Washington.

On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice charged Rodriguez with first-degree murder. According to court documents, he faces multiple counts, including the murder of foreign officials, causing death with a firearm and use of a firearm in a crime of violence.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that the authorities believe the suspect acted alone. In remarks to the press, she added that security has been tightened around Israeli diplomatic facilities.

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U.S. officials, including President Trump, quickly extended condolences to the victims’ families and vowed to bring the perpetrator to justice. Meanwhile, Israeli leaders traded accusations over the root causes of growing global hostility toward Israelis — especially amid Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, now in its 17th month, which has killed tens of thousands, mostly women and children, and displaced nearly 2 million Palestinians lacking basic life necessities.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was “shocked by the horrific anti-Semitic murder”, claiming that what he called “blood libels against Israel” were fueling violence and must be “combated and eradicated.” His remarks referenced the widespread official and grassroots condemnation of Israel’s conduct in the Palestinian territories since October 8, 2023.

Netanyahu vowed to increase security at Israeli embassies worldwide, while Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon described the shooting as “an anti-Semitic terrorist act”, warning that “attacks on [Israeli] diplomats and the Jewish community cross a red line.”

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir blamed “traitorous politicians in Israel” for fueling anti-Semitism abroad.

“Unfortunately, anti-Semites around the world draw strength from treacherous politicians in Israel who accuse IDF soldiers of killing children for fun,” he wrote in a Telegram post. “The blood of the victims is on their hands.” — A clear reference to remarks made days earlier by Yair Golan, leader of the left-wing Democratic Party.

Golan, a former army general, told Israel’s public broadcaster that Israel “is on the path to becoming a pariah state like apartheid South Africa.” He said the war in Gaza was being waged for “political goals”, criticizing the government’s plan to forcibly remove Gaza residents through what it calls “voluntary migration.” Golan asserted that “a wise state does not wage war on civilians, does not treat killing children as a hobby and does not make population expulsion its objective.”

Although Golan expressed sympathy for the Washington shooting victims on Thursday, he argued that Israel’s far-right government bears responsibility for fueling anti-Semitism and hatred toward Israel, contributing to unprecedented diplomatic isolation and global threats to Jews everywhere.

In related remarks, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar blamed European governments for “inciting against Israel” following the embassy shooting.

“There is a direct link between anti-Semitic, anti-Israel incitement and this murder,” he said at a press conference. “This incitement is also being spread by leaders and officials in numerous countries and international organizations, particularly in Europe.”

Sa’ar called the Washington shooting a direct result of “the poisonous anti-Semitic incitement against Israel and the Jewish people” since October 7, 2023. He emphasized that such incitement and false accusations against Israel must end.