Palestinian gunman detained after Jewish father of six murdered in West Bank
Netanel Shakron fatally shot whilst bathing at a natural spring with his son hours before Yom Kippur
A man has been arrested following the fatal shooting in the West Bank of a Jewish father of six on the eve of Yom Kippur.
Netanel Shukrun from Alei Zahav was attacked at a natural spring near the West Bank settlement of Neve Tzuf, also known as Halamish, as he and his son ritually immersed themselves in the waters hours before the start of the solemn holiday.
IDF reports say the shooter opened fire toward the spring from a vehicle, hitting Shukrun.
Video footage of the incident has been widely shared on social media.
Armed and fleeing his car, the terrorist was shot and wounded by Israeli soldiers. Information provided by Shin Bet led to him later being apprehended at a Ramallah hospital.
Shukrun, taken in serious condition to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, later died from his injuries.
Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan paid tribute to Shukrun, who worked as a systems information analyst, describing him as “a man of kindness, humble and a lover of people, was murdered just after he finished immersing [in the spring] with his son ahead of Yom Kippur. These barbarians will never break us — we will build our land even more.”
Israel’s army chief, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, said the military remained “on high alert. We will impose a closure on the village and conduct investigations, through which we will reach everyone who assisted the terrorist.”
At Shukrun’s funeral on Monday evening, his 16-year old son Yoav, who credits his father with saving his life by alerting him to the terrorist, said: “Dad, I want to say thank you for 16 years together. Thank you for shouting to me when the terrorist came in. I don’t remember what you said, and I escaped. Thank you for saving my life, thank God I survived, and I want to tell the family that we will carry on together and it will be okay.”