The BBC quoted James Emmanuel Wanke, spokesman for Canada’s Department of Global Affairs – the government’s diplomatic department – as saying: “We are aware of the death of a Canadian citizen in Egypt and express our sincere condolences to the family.”
“Consular officials are in contact with local authorities and are prepared to provide consular assistance to the family,” he added.
The spokesman noted that “due to privacy regulations, additional information cannot be disclosed.”
The Egyptian authorities launched a criminal investigation following the shooting death of an Israeli-Canadian businessman in the coastal city of Alexandria on Tuesday.
Talk about a criminal offence
Earlier, a security source said that a Canadian “of Israeli-Jewish origin” was killed in a shooting during a robbery in the Alexandria Governorate in northern Egypt, and that the authorities are investigating the incident as a criminal crime.
The security source added to Reuters that the incident occurred “motivated by theft,” and the source did not link the shooting to the ethnic background of the victim.
Information about the businessman
Israeli and Arab media reported that the victim was called Zev Kiper, head of an Egyptian food export company. They also indicated that he was of Ukrainian origins, obtained Canadian citizenship, belonged to the Jewish religion, and was a strong sympathizer of Israel, which he had visited frequently.
Many Egyptian users on social media platforms circulated a statement attributed to an unknown group calling itself “Vanguards of Liberation” that claimed responsibility for the killing of “an Israeli agent who uses some commercial activities as a cover to carry out his activity in collecting information and recruiting the weak-minded for the benefit of the Mossad.” In solidarity with the Palestinians.
A security source told Reuters that they had no information about the existence of such a group and whether it was involved in Tuesday’s attack.
Neither Israel nor Egypt officially announced the name of the man who was killed, but the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the victim was a businessman with dual Canadian and Israeli citizenship, and added that the Israeli embassy in Cairo is in contact with the Egyptian authorities.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian Ministry of Interior said in a statement that the man was “permanently residing” in the country, adding that legal measures had been taken without providing further details.
Kiper is listed online as the CEO of Oak Group, which was founded in 2008 and exports frozen fruits and vegetables, and is headquartered in Alexandria.
