While thousands of Jews in Israel and around the world were using the eve of Yom Kippur for ritual preparation ahead of the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, a Palestinian terrorist shot and killed Netanel Shakron, a father of six children, at a natural spring near Neve Tzuf in the Binyamin region of Samaria – the place also known as Halamish – on Sunday afternoon. Shakron was in his forties. His son witnessed the attack.
A Son as Witness – Perpetrator Captured at Hospital
The terrorist opened fire from a vehicle with an M16 rifle at Israeli civilians who had come to the spring to ritually purify themselves before the fast day. An Israeli soldier who was nearby shot the attacker shortly after the attack, wounding him and forcing him to flee. The terrorist was arrested shortly afterwards after seeking medical treatment at a nearby hospital. Israeli special forces and IAF aircraft supported the search operation.
Shakron was taken to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, where he succumbed to his injuries. In a separate incident, Israeli soldiers killed another terrorist near Ganim in northern Samaria who attempted to run over troops with a vehicle. No Israeli soldier was injured in the incident.
Netanyahu: “No Terrorist is Immune”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated: “Today, six young Israeli children lost their father to abhorrent terrorism. May his memory be a blessing.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately ordered increased IDF and Shin Bet operations in Judea and Samaria following the attack – including lockdowns and offensive arrest operations – as well as the immediate demolition of the terrorist’s home. “No terrorist is immune, not even those who helped him. We will settle accounts with all of them – in Gaza, in Lebanon, and in Judea and Samaria,” he said.
President Isaac Herzog bowed in memory of the victim and said: “Terror will not break us or shake our spirit. We will stand together against terror – united, determined, and full of faith.” Binyamin Regional Council Chairman Yisrael Ganz, who arrived at the scene of the attack, said: “This is a very serious incident, but we are strong and will get through this as well.”
Yoav Shakron – the son of the murdered Netanel – paid tribute to his father and expressed his deep gratitude.
“Dad, I want to thank you. Thank you for all the years we spent together. Thank you for shouting at me during the attack and telling me to run – thank you for saving my life. I also want to thank God for sparing me. To Mom and my siblings, I want to say: we will continue to stay strong and stand together,” Yoav said in his eulogy.
