Israeli police officer and a soldier stand guard near the site of a shooting attack that killed one Israeli. (AP Photo)
Israeli Settler Killed Near Neve Tzuf, Suspect Arrested
An Israeli man in his 30s was shot and killed near the West Bank settlement of Neve Tzuf, also known as Halamish, on Sunday, just hours before the Yom Kippur holiday began. The Israeli military reported that the suspected attacker was injured while fleeing the scene and was later apprehended at a hospital.
According to the military, a combat tracker from the Binyamin Regional Brigade fired at the suspect as he attempted to escape, resulting in the assailant’s injury. The suspect then drove to a hospital near Ramallah, where Israeli commandos from the Duvdevan Unit arrested him based on information provided by the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service.
Earlier reports confirmed the death of the Israeli man, who was identified as a settler. The incident occurred in the central West Bank, an area often marked by tensions between Israeli settlers and Palestinians.
The victim was identified as Netanel Shukrun, a father of six who lived in the West Bank settlement of Alei Zahav, The Times of Israel reported.
“On behalf of all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I send our deepest condolences to the family of the victim of the attack and share in their profound grief,” Netanyahu said. Shukrun had gone to a natural spring near Neve Tzuf with his eldest son to immerse in the water ahead of Yom Kippur, when the shooting took place.
The suspected attacker opened fire toward the spring from a vehicle before getting out and fleeing on foot while still armed, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Shukrun was seriously wounded and taken to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, where he later died.