In a video address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu linked Wednesday's killings in Washington to Hamas's 7 Oct 2023 attack on Israel.

"As he was taken away, he chanted, 'Free Palestine!' This is exactly the same chant we heard on October 7th," Netanyahu says in the video.

He also accused the UK's Keir Starmer, 's Emmanuel Macron and Canada's Mark Carney of "emboldening Hamas to continue fighting forever". Earlier this week, they signed a strongly worded t letter condemning Israel's actions in Gaza.

"You're on the wrong side of humanity and you're on the wrong side of history," he says.

of the Congressional Jewish Caucus have laid flowers at the Capital Jewish Museum, the site of last night's shooting.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Former US President Joe Biden says he and his wife Jill Biden are "horrified and saddened by the deadly shooting" outside the Capital Jewish Museum last night.

"Antisemitic violence and hate have no place in our communities," he writes in a post on X.

"We are praying for Yaron and Sarah’s families and loved ones."

Gabriela Pomeroy
Live reporter

Image source, Yana Naftalieva

I've been speaking to friends of the two young Israeli embassy staffers who were killed in Washington.

Yana Naftalieva studied diplomacy in the same class as Yaron Lischinsky at Reichman University in Israel.

"He was truly one of the brightest students in our class, and also one of the kindest," she says, adding that he helped other people with their studies.

He was "deeply ionate about his role" at the Israeli embassy in Washington, Naftalieva says.

"It breaks my heart to see how his life ended," she says.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says Donald Trump is "saddened and outraged" by the killing of Sarah Lynn Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky last night.

They were a "beautiful young couple", she says.

Leavitt then reads out words by Yaron Lischinsky's father, Daniel.

"They were in love, one for the other. The embassy told us they were like a star couple at the embassy.

"I never expected something like this - he had his whole life before him".

She goes on to say that "the evil of antisemitism must be eradicated from our society".

"Hatred has no place in the US under President Donald Trump," and the perpetrator will be prosecuted to the "fullest extent of the law".

We're now hearing from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is giving a news briefing following last night's shooting.

You can watch live at the top of the page.

Netanyahu has also spoken with US President Donald Trump, the Israeli prime minister's office says.

Trump "expressed deep sorrow" over the shootings, his office says in a post on X.

Image source, Reuters

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken with the parents of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, the two people who were killed in the attack, according to his office.

"The PM told the families that he shares in their deep sorrow, together with the entire Jewish people," it says.

The FBI says "court-authorised law enforcement activity" is taking place in the Chicago area, related to last night's shooting in Washington DC.

In a separate update, deputy director Dan Bongino says a suspect was interviewed at around 01:00 local time (06:00 BST) on Thursday, and the agency believes there is no ongoing threat to the public.

Bongino adds that the FBI is aware of "certain writings allegedly authored by the suspect" of which they are working to confirm the authenticity.

FBI director Kash Patel has also released a statement, saying that "last night’s act of terror" has the agency's "full attention".

"Targeted anti-Semitic violence is an attack on our core values and will be met with the full weight of federal law enforcement."

Mike Wendling
Reporting from Chicago

I’ve arrived at an address that was searched this morning on the north side of Chicago, believed to be connected to the suspect Elias Rodriguez.

Police have blocked off the street which is crawling with media crews. We’ve just spotted an FBI agent entering the address.

Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem

Israel has been battling intense international and domestic criticism over the conduct of the Gaza war in recent days.

While Israeli ministers have condemned this shooting outside a Jewish museum in Washington DC as an act of antisemitism, there have also been strong recriminations.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a post on X: "We are witness to the terrible cost of the antisemitism and wild incitement against the State of Israel."

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar pointed to "anti-Israeli incitement", which he said is done by "leaders and officials of many countries, of international organisations, especially from Europe".

Earlier this week, the leaders of the UK, and Canada signed a strongly-worded t letter condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza.

One Israeli minister, Amichai Chikli, went so far as to directly call out Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, and Mark Carney as having “emboldened the forces of terror.”

Within Israel, criticism has been directed at Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, who earlier this week gave an unusually powerful domestic condemnation of the Gaza war, saying Israel was killing babies "as a hobby".

The reserve major general in the army later clarified that his criticism was directed at the government, not the Israel Defense Forces.

After the shooting in Washington, the far-right minister, Itamar Ben Gvir appeared to accuse Golan of having "the blood of the victims" on his hands.

In response, Golan accused Israel’s hardline government of fuelling "antisemitism and hatred of Israel" saying the result was "unprecedented political isolation and danger to every Jew at every point across the globe".

Image source, Robert Milgrim/CBS

Sarah Milgrim's father, Robert, tells the BBC's US partner CBS News that his daughter "loved Israel" and "loved everybody that lived in the Middle East".

"She spent several summers in Israel and she worked with... Palestinian and Israeli groups to bring them together," he says.

"She had a lot of close Palestinian friends, as well as many Israeli friends."

Robert tells CBS that Sarah's role at the Israeli embassy had been her "first job" out of education, having studied for two masters degrees.

He says he first learnt of Yaron's plans to propose via the Israeli ambassador overnight.

Gary O'Donoghue
Chief North America correspondent, reporting from Washington DC

Image source, Reuters

Under dingy grey skies and with heavy rain falling, the yellow crime scene tape cordons off two blocks around the Capital Jewish Museum. The scene of last night’s shooting in downtown DC.

Police officers and FBI agents stand around, one accompanied by a sniffer dog.

In a beige coat, Attorney General Pam Bondi has been talking to officials.

Meanwhile the suspect is reported to be in a cell close to here. His initial court appearance is set for later today - again just a couple of blocks away.

The world’s media huddle under umbrellas beaming the news of last night’s attack around the globe.

The mood is sombre - everyone knows acts like this will have repercussions that reverberate in these violent and uncertain times.

Mike Wendling
Reporting from Chicago

Suspect Elias Rodriguez is currently being held by authorities and is expected in court on Thursday.

Online records examined by BBC indicate that Rodriguez, who is from Chicago, had been working at the American Osteopathic Information Association since 2024.

Prior to that, he appeared to work as a researcher at HistoryMakers, a research and educational institution based in Chicago - according to a LinkedIn profile and the institution's web site.

Social media s BBC has examined that appear to belong to Rodriguez indicate that he was heavily involved in the pro-Palestinian protest movement.

An online story indicated that in 2017, he was associated with a fringe communist group, The Party for Socialism and Liberation.

The party said in a post on X that Rodriguez had a "brief association" with a branch of the group and that they had had no with him for seven years.

They said they "have nothing to do with this shooting and do not it".

We're just hearing from Capital Jewish Museum - outside of which Wednesday's shooting took place.

"We are heartbroken by the murders of Yaron Lishinsky and Sarah Milgrim, and send our sincere condolences to their families and friends," executive director of the museum, Dr Beatrice Gurwitz says in a statement.

"In an act of horrific antisemitic violence, a gunman attacked our beloved community. This tragedy is devastating," she adds.

"We are working to re-open the museum in the coming days, with all necessary security in place, so we can return to telling the story of Jewish Washington for thousands of visitors from around the world."

Image source, Reuters

Authorities have searched a home in Chicago linked to suspect Elias Rodriguez, as they continue to investigate the shooting.

Journalists surrounding the attorney general are peppering her with questions, including asking whether she knows the motivations behind the shooting.

Bondi says authorities will be giving a briefing later.

She adds that she's visiting the scene because local rabbis asked if she would come with them.

"We need to come together", she says.

Bondi says security has been increased after the shooting, and that US Marshals are working to ensure the safety of the embassy.

She says from everything known to authorities the suspect acted alone, but notes it's an ongoing investigation.

"Whether you are Jewish or not, be vigilant," she says.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi is speaking to press at the scene of the shooting.

You can watch live at the top of the page.

Image source, EPA

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "strongly condemns" the shooting of two Israeli embassy staff , his spokesman says.

"Nothing can justify such a horrific act," he adds.

"The Secretary-General calls for the perpetrator to be brought to justice and extends his sympathies to the families and loved ones of the victims and to the government of Israel."