Tuesday’s attack took place on Nahalat Binyamin Street, an area popular for its restaurants and nightlife, and on nearby Gruzenberg Street, where an attacker wounded another person and was shot dead.
Israeli media reports that an American residence permit and a border control ticket were found on the attacker’s body.
He entered Israel on a tourist visa on January 18.
Border and immigration forces objected to the man’s entry into Israel while he was at Ben Gurion Airport, but Shin Bet security allowed him to enter, Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel said.
“I call on Shin Bet chief Ronen Barr to investigate this serious incident as soon as possible and learn from it,” he added.
The Shin Bet said in response: “After the man entered Israel, a security assessment was conducted, including questioning and additional checks, which concluded that there were no grounds to deny him entry for security reasons. The incident will be investigated.”
Hamas did not claim responsibility, but praised the attack in a statement.
