Terror on the eve of Yom Kippur: Netanel Shakron, a father of six from the community of Alei Zahav, was murdered Sunday afternoon in a shooting near Ein Riya spring, close to Neve Tzuf in the Binyamin region. He was found in a vehicle in serious condition and evacuated by Magen David Adom ambulance to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, where doctors later pronounced him dead. His eldest son, who was in the vehicle, was unharmed.
Security forces launched a manhunt for the terrorist who carried out the shooting, a 37-year-old resident of the village of Biddu. Troops from the elite Duvdevan unit captured him about three hours later at a hospital in Ramallah, where he had fled after being wounded when a soldier opened fire at him.
The tense moments of the deadly shooting attack
(Video: from social media)
Shortly after the shooting at the spring, before the terrorist was captured, troops from the Paratroopers Brigade’s 890th Battalion killed another terrorist who attempted to carry out a car-ramming attack near the community of Ganim in the Menashe Brigade sector. Another terrorist who was in the vehicle was arrested. No IDF troops were wounded in the incident.
Footage from the scene showed several terrified bathers at the spring as gunfire could be heard in the background. “Is there an army here? Police here?” one of them could be heard asking.
The report of the shooting in the Binyamin region was received by Magen David Adom’s 101 emergency hotline in the Jerusalem region at 11:29 a.m. Medics and paramedics treated Shakron at the scene while he was unconscious.
Paramedic David Trachtenberg said emergency crews pulled the wounded man from the vehicle and immediately began lifesaving treatment.
“We got the wounded man out of the vehicle and immediately began providing lifesaving medical treatment,” Trachtenberg said. “We put him in the ambulance and, with the help of a doctor and another paramedic, immediately began evacuating him to the hospital while fighting for his life, providing medical treatment and blood products in the hope that his condition would stabilize.”
Doctors at Beilinson Hospital later pronounced him dead. His funeral is scheduled for 11 p.m. after Yom Kippur.
The scene of the shooting attack near Neve Tzuf
(Video: from social media)
The vehicle of the terrorist
(Photo: from social media)
An initial investigation found that the terrorist drove to the area of the spring and then opened fire at Shakron’s vehicle. A soldier who was nearby in an armored vehicle opened fire at the terrorist, wounding him. The terrorist fled with his weapon to a hospital in Ramallah.
Special units, including Duvdevan, were rushed to the area. Israeli Air Force aircraft, including an attack helicopter, were also dispatched, while roadblocks were set up throughout the sector.
During the manhunt, security officials feared the armed terrorist could carry out another attack. Security cameras captured the terrorist’s red Mitsubishi Outlander.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir arrived at the scene and ordered additional forces deployed to continue the manhunt. The terrorist was eventually captured. Judea and Samaria District Police chief Maj. Gen. Moshe Pinchi and Samaria subdistrict commander Brig. Gen. Avi Cohen also arrived at the scene.
The terrorist captured after the Binyamin attack
The terrorist from the town of Biddu
The Shin Bet later received intelligence indicating that the terrorist had fled, wounded, to a hospital in Ramallah after being shot at the scene. Duvdevan troops rushed to the hospital and detained him in his bed. Images later circulated on Palestinian social media showing the troops surrounding his hospital bed.
Police also took part in the capture. Later, the chief of staff ordered the terrorist’s home sealed and demolished.
'No one will drive us away from here'
Binyamin Regional Council head and Yesha Council chairman Israel Gantz said at the scene: “Residents come ahead of Yom Kippur to immerse themselves in the spring, and a terrorist arrives armed with an M-16 and opens fire at them. This is a very difficult incident, but we are strong and we will get through it. God willing, on Sukkot this place will be filled with hikers. No one will drive us away from here.”
After the terrorist was captured, Gantz said: “He sought to take lives and break our spirit, but he failed. The people of Israel will not be deterred or broken by terrorism.”
Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan said: “I demand that the security forces intensify their operations inside the villages, go from house to house, collect illegal weapons and dismantle terrorist infrastructure. Security checkpoints must immediately be restored to the roads.
“Terrorists must not be allowed to move freely, and we must not wait for the next attack. The State of Israel must move from defense to offense and restore deterrence and security for residents. The settlement enterprise will never be broken.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for the death penalty to be imposed on the terrorist.
“We demand enforcement of the death penalty law for terrorists that Otzma Yehudit passed,” he said. “This is the first case in which the death penalty for terrorists can be carried out. In this case, the punishment is mandatory. The law is the law.”
The scene of the shooting attack near Neve Tzuf
(Video: Magen David Adom)
The scene of the shooting attack near Neve Tzuf
(Photo: from social media)
The attacks came amid heightened IDF alert in the West Bank ahead of the Jewish fall holidays.
The military said Nahal Brigade troops have searched more than 1,200 buildings and other sites across the territory in recent months, uncovering, among other things, a laboratory used to manufacture explosive devices. Large numbers of armored vehicles have also recently been seen operating around Nablus.
IDF forces are operating across the West Bank under the military’s regional brigades in the areas of Judea, Menashe, Ephraim and Samaria. According to the military, troops have questioned about 930 suspects in the field and arrested about 230 wanted Palestinians as part of the recent operations.
More than 100 weapons have been seized, including M-16 rifles, submachine guns, handguns, magazines and large quantities of ammunition, the military said.
The increased military presence has also been visible around Huwara, near Nablus, where advanced Eitan armored personnel carriers carrying Nahal troops have been seen alongside forces conducting routine operations. Images distributed by international news agencies showed the armored vehicles traveling in relatively large convoys.
The military has raised its readiness to the highest level ahead of Yom Kippur, with particular attention also being paid to the upcoming Sukkot and Simchat Torah holidays.
Thousands of Israeli visitors are expected to travel through the West Bank during the holiday period, visiting tourist sites, established settlements and recently established settlement outposts. The military has reinforced troops along major roads and around areas of heightened friction to provide security for visitors.
First published: 11:46, 09.20.26