Israel ‘shocked & deeply saddened’ after Afghan terrorist shoots 2 National Guardsmen in Washington DC

Israeli leaders expressed their solidarity with the U.S. on Thursday, after the shooting of two U.S. National Guardsmen in the capital of Washington, D.C., on Wednesday evening.

The 29-year-old suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is an Afghan national who had come to the U.S. in 2021 through a Biden administration program that resettled Afghans after the U.S. military’s withdrawal. He was shot and wounded during the incident.

Lakanwal opened fire at two National Guardsmen near Farragut Square, two blocks from the White House. They were hospitalized in critical condition.

After initial reports said the troops had passed away in the hospital, Patrick Morrissey, governor of their home state of West Virginia, said he was “now receiving conflicting reports about the condition” of the troops.

There was still no clarity about their condition at the time of publication.

Israel’s President Isaac Herzog said that Israel was following the “tragic news” of the shooting "with deep sorrow and heartfelt condolences.”

With deep sorrow and heartfelt condolences, we in Israel are following the tragic news from Washington DC, where two National Guard soldiers have been murdered in a terrible attack near the White House. Our deepest sympathies go to their families and loved ones.

From Israel, we…

— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) November 26, 2025

“Our deepest sympathies go to their families and loved ones. From Israel, we send a message of friendship and solidarity to President Donald Trump, and all those serving in and around the White House. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our greatest friend and ally, the United States of America,” he wrote on 𝕏.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa‘ar said he was “Shocked and deeply saddened by the deadly shooting in Washington D.C. today. My thoughts are with the families of the two brave National Guardsmen that were killed. We stand in solidarity with the United States, the American people and POTUS.”

President Trump said, “The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen… will pay a very steep price.”

.@POTUS: "This attack underscores the single greatest national security threat facing our nation. The last administration let in 20 million unknown and unvetted foreigners." pic.twitter.com/lWpVI3Kldd

— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) November 27, 2025

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services later announced via a post on 𝕏 that it is stopping the processing of immigration requests of Afghan nationals “pending further review of security and vetting protocols.”

Trump had urged to “reexamine every alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden,” referring to the suspect’s entry to the U.S. as “one of those infamous flights that everyone was talking about” and noting that unvetted foreign nationals are the “single greatest national security threat.”

According to NBS, Lakanwal served in the Afghan army for 10 years, supporting U.S. Special Forces troops. Fox News cited CIA Director John Ratcliffe as saying that he had worked with U.S. government entities, including the intelligence agency.

“If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” Trump said.

Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols.

The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and…

— USCIS (@USCIS) November 27, 2025

He added that he had directed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to deploy 500 additional National Guardsmen to the capital.

“We will bring the perpetrator of this barbaric attack to swift and certain justice, if the bullets going in the opposite direction haven’t already done that,” Trump said.

The deployment of the National Guard in DC has caused controversy for the past month, including a court fight and public debate over Trump’s use of the military to fight crime.

🚨NEW: @SecWar Pete Hegseth says @POTUS asked him to deploy 500 additional National Guardsmen to DC following today's shooting:

"We will never back down...President Trump has asked me...to add 500 additional troops...to Washington, DC...This will only stiffen our resolve." pic.twitter.com/SEUE5ThBM6

— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) November 26, 2025

In August, some 300 West Virginia National Guard members were deployed to Washington, and about half of them last week volunteered to extend their deployment until the end of the year.

A federal judge ruled last week to end the deployment but the order was put on hold for 21 days to allow the government time to remove the troops or appeal the decision.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance called on “everybody who’s a person of faith” to pray for the two troops.

“I think it’s a somber reminder that soldiers, whether they’re active duty, reserve or National Guard, our soldiers are the sword and the shield of the United States of America,” Vance said while delivering a Thanksgiving message.