Two Israeli embassy staff were killed outside a Jewish museum in downtown Washington DC, officials say.

The victims, a man and woman, were shot while exiting an event at the Capital Jewish Museum, sources told the BBC's news partner CBS, adding that the incident appears targeted.

The shooting happened at 21:05 local time around 3rd and F Streets NW, an area with numerous tourist sites, museums and government buildings, including the FBI's Washington field office.

Reports indicate that multiple employees of the Israeli embassy were at a museum event at the time of the shooting.

"Two Israeli Embassy staff were senselessly killed tonight near the Jewish Museum in Washington DC," US Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem posted on X. "Please pray for the families of the victims. We will bring this depraved perpetrator to justice."

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations called the incident a "depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism".

"Harming diplomats and the Jewish community is crossing a red line," Ambassador Danny Danon wrote on X. "We are confident that the US authorities will take strong action against those responsible for this criminal act."

The incident triggered a major police response and shut down several core streets in the city. The victims were identified as a man and woman, local media reported, but their names have not been released.

A spokesman for the Israeli embassy confirmed that two staff members were shot "at close range" while attending the event at the museum.

"We have full faith in law enforcement authorities on both the local and federal levels to apprehend the shooter and protect Israel's representatives and Jewish communities throughout the United States," said spokesman Tal Naim Cohen.

A search is underway for the attacker. Sources tell CBS, the BBC's US partner, that the suspect is a goateed man wearing blue jeans and a blue jacket.

The Capitol campus of Georgetown University also was locked down, according to CBS.

"When we went to leave the cops and security were downstairs and told us we can't leave," said one student, who was on lockdown in their building for over an hour.

"And they are still here telling us we can't leave."

Ted Deutch, the CEO of the American Jewish Committee, said in a statement that his organisation was hosting the event where the attack occurred.

"We are devastated that an unspeakable act of violence took place outside the venue," he said.

"At this moment, as we await more information from the police about exactly what transpired, our attention and our hearts are solely with those who were harmed and their families."

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee posted to X to call the attack a "horrific act of terror that the people of Israel are waking up to this morning".

The Capital Jewish Museum like many other Jewish institutions in the US has struggled with security issues amid rising antisemitism.

"Jewish institutions all around town, all around the country, are concerned about security due to some very scary incidents that some institutions have faced and because of a climate of antisemitism," Executive Director Beatrice Gurwitz told NBC News in a separate news report before the attack on Wednesday.

The museum recently received a grant to upgrade its security in part, she said, because of a new exhibit on LGBT pride.

"We recognise that there are threats associated with this as well," Gurwitz said. "And again, we want to ensure that our space is as welcoming and secure for everybody who comes here while we are exploring these stories."