A 20-year-old Border Police officer who opened fire at police in Netanya’s Kiryat Hasharon neighborhood on Saturday evening was shot and killed, police said. No one else was injured.
Police identified him as Sgt. 2nd Class David Hoyer Amrani, a Netanya resident serving in compulsory service with the Border Police. The circumstances of the incident are under investigation.
Sgt. 2nd Class David Hoyer Amrani
(Photo: Israel Police)
Before the shooting, Amrani was filmed carrying a long gun. Initial assessments suggested he may have been suffering from combat-related trauma. However, the Defense Ministry’s Rehabilitation Department said he had not been treated by the department for post-traumatic stress disorder and was not known to it as suffering from PTSD.
Amrani enlisted in the Border Police in August 2024. After completing his training, he was assigned to serve in Hebron with the Border Police’s West Bank district. About eight months ago, he transferred to the 39th Company in the same district.
He is survived by his parents and two siblings. His family has been notified, police said.
Residents described panic as bursts of gunfire echoed through the neighborhood. One woman said: “We heard shots, everyone was obviously scared and ran inside. I saw people running toward the houses.”
Another resident, Amir, said: “It was very frightening. In the middle of the afternoon, while we were sitting on the balcony, we suddenly started hearing bursts of gunfire. We all immediately ran inside so no one would get hurt. I understood that they had neutralized him.”
Avigal Cohen, who also lives in the neighborhood, said there were “lots of shots” and that residents rushed into nearby buildings for shelter. “We were in the park with my little sister. Everything had been calm, and then we saw people panicking and started hearing bursts of gunfire,” she said. “We started shouting to people to hide. It lasted around 20 minutes.”
David Hoyer Amrani firefight with the police
Her brother, Harel Cohen, said he heard bursts of gunfire from the direction of the stadium and saw the man moving between buildings. “I saw the man come toward my building and barricade himself there. I reported everything to police and immediately went inside and got my weapon so I would be ready,” he said. “He looked lucid. He was simply moving between the buildings and firing into the air.”
Police said large forces from the Central District were deployed to the scene and surrounding area. Central District commander Amir Cohen was sent to the location.
Magen David Adom said the report of the shooting was received at its 101 emergency hotline at 7:07 p.m. Medics initially reported that the shooter had been neutralized by police and that there were no additional casualties.
Idan Kleiman, chairman of the IDF Disabled Veterans Organization, said the incident required a full investigation and should serve as another warning about the treatment of veterans struggling after combat.
“This difficult incident in Netanya requires a full and thorough investigation,” Kleiman said. “Beyond the circumstances of the incident itself, this is another wake-up call for the State of Israel. It must not abandon the tens of thousands of female and male fighters who continue to face the battle long after returning from the battlefield.”
He called on National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to order a joint IDF and Defense Ministry review of the circumstances of the case, the support provided and the lessons that could help prevent a similar incident.
First published: 19:38, 09.05.26