Jewish man killed at Western Wall
The 45-year-old shouted Allahu Akbar (Gil Yohanan/Ynet)

A Jewish Israeli man has been shot dead by a security officer at Jerusalem's Western Wall after he shouted Allahu Akbar (God is the greatest) near the public toilet, according to reports.

The man, 45, was mistaken for a Palestinian terrorist by the guard, according to police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.

"The fact he shouted Allahu Akbar, that seems to be why the security guard drew his weapon and fired a number of shots at him," he said.

The guard "fired a number of shots" according to reports. After the shooting, paramedics rushed to the scene but were unable to resuscitate the victim.

The man, who was seen pulling something from his pocket as he emerged from the public toilet, was known to the Wall's regular worshippers as a "weird guy".

"He always acts strange. Everyone knows him. He once said he had become a Muslim. I guess the security guard didn't know him," a witness told Ynetnews.

Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch expressed deep sorrow over the incident.

The Western Wall is one of Judaism's holiest sites.