A 21-year-old Alberta man who previously served in the Canadian Armed Forces reserves was shot and killed in Israel last summer after allegedly attempting to carry out a knife attack near the Gaza border, according to Israeli authorities.Israeli security officials say Zachareah Quraishi of Airdrie approached the entrance of Netiv Ha’asara, a gated community of about 900 residents near northern Gaza, on July 22, 2024. Surveillance footage released by Israeli media appears to show security guards firing at a man who runs toward the gate holding a knife. .Authorities say guards issued multiple verbal warnings before firing. Quraishi died at the scene. No injuries to security personnel or civilians were reported.The incident was not publicly connected to Canada at the time. However, the Department of National Defence later confirmed that Quraishi had recently served in the Canadian Army Reserve.The National Post broke the story.Officials said he enrolled on July 17, 2023, completed basic training in December, and was released from service on July 10, 2024. The department did not disclose the reason for his release, citing privacy legislation..Israeli media reported that Quraishi purchased a plane ticket shortly after leaving the reserves and entered Israel legally as a tourist shortly before the alleged attack.Quraishi’s father, Adam, has publicly challenged the official account. On social media, he stated that his son travelled to the region for humanitarian purposes and accused Israeli forces of wrongfully killing him.In a Remembrance Day post, he shared photographs of family military members alongside an image of Zachareah in uniform and suggested his son should be viewed as a veteran..He wrote that his son was killed "for looking too Palestinian" and described the incident as tragic. The family has not responded to media requests for further comment.Some Israeli officials and commentators in Canada described the case as an example of growing ideological radicalization among Canadians.At the time of the incident, Israeli Knesset member Sharren Haskel called the alleged attack "a wake-up call" and linked it to rising extremist sentiment..Earlier this month, Canadian Security Intelligence Service director Dan Rogers said violent extremism motivated by ideology, religion or political beliefs remains a significant national security concern. Rogers noted that nearly one in ten active terrorism investigations now involves at least one person under the age of 18.Veterans advocates have also weighed in. Retired infantry officer and Royal Canadian Legion member Tom Ellard said public conversations surrounding Quraishi’s brief military service should recognize the difference between lawful military duty and acts of extremism. .He added that Remembrance Day allows for a range of personal expressions, even when they are contentious.Netiv Ha’Asara is a small agricultural community near the Gaza border. The area was among those targeted during Hamas’s October 7 attacks, which killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals.Photos released by Israeli outlets showed that Quraishi arrived at the community in a white Hyundai rental vehicle and was carrying a large kitchen knife.The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that a suspect exited a vehicle and threatened members of the community’s rapid response team with a knife. According to the statement, the team fired and killed the suspect, who was later confirmed to be a Canadian citizen.
