Egypt probes shooting of Israeli-Canadian businessman

It has called itself the Vanguards of Liberation – the Martyr Mohammad Salah group – an apparent reference to an Egyptian police officer who was killed after shooting dead three Israeli soldiers last year.

In a statement, the group described Mr Kipper as an Israeli agent and said his killing was in retaliation for what it called massacres in Gaza and Israel’s seizure of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, which also happened on Tuesday.

A security source told Reuters they had no information about the existence of such a group and whether it had been involved in Tuesday’s attack.

Neither Israel nor Egypt have yet officially named the man who was killed.

However, the Israeli foreign ministry confirmed that the victim was a businessman with dual Canadian-Israeli citizenship.

It added that the Israeli embassy in Cairo was in contact with the Egyptian authorities.

Egypt’s interior ministry, meanwhile, said in a statement that the man had been “residing permanently” in the country.

“Legal action has been taken,” it said, without providing further details.

Jean-Pierre Godbout, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada – the government’s diplomatic department – said it was aware of the reports of the death, Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail reported.

More information was being sought from the Egyptian authorities, Mr Godbout added.

Mr Kipper is listed online as the CEO of OK Group, which was founded in 2008 and exports frozen fruits and vegetables. Its headquarters is in Alexandria.