In a bizarre twist on the usual threats Israel faces, an American citizen on Friday opened fire in a hotel in the southern resort town of Eilat, killing one person.
The gunman was reportedly in Israel on an aliyah-related program, and had been working in the hotel's kitchen. During a heated argument with another hotel staff member, the perpetrator snatched the gun of a nearby security guard and began shooting.
A 50-year-old hotel staff member was killed and three other people suffered from severe shock. The gunman barricaded himself in the hotel kitchen and engaged police in a brief shootout before being killed by Israeli anti-terrorism commandos.
In other violence, Palestinian terrorists operating out of the Gaza Strip fired a medium-range missile that landed just outside the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon on Thursday night. The missile landed in an open area and did not cause any injuries or damage.