A Jewish man has been killed at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Doron Ben Shlush, 46, was shot several times by a security guard on Friday morning.

The security guard, 25, told police that the victim yelled " Allah Akbar " , meaning " God is greater " in Arabic, and reached for his pocket. These movements led the guard to believe the man was about to commit a terrorist attack.

Israeli ambulance service Magen David Adom arrived on the scene and attempted to resuscitate the man.

A witness said: “I don’t understand why he was shot. Everybody knows him and his behaviour. He often acted in a nervous manner. What has happened here is not normal.”

The guard has been arrested and remanded for five days. At the remand hearing, Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court judge described the incident as “severe. It ended in the death of an innocent person.”

Western Wall rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch said : “ Regardless of the circumstances, such an incident is a grave tragedy.”

Reportedly, Mr Ben Shlush was living in a Chabad House near the Western Wall and was a regular at the site.

According to those who knew him Mr Ben Shlush seemed mentally unstable but not dangerous.