Netanel Shakron, a father of six from Alei Zahav, was killed Sunday morning in a shooting attack at the Ein Raya spring near Neve Tzuf in the Binyamin region of Judea and Samaria. Shakron had traveled to the site with his eldest son for a ritual immersion ahead of Yom Kippur when a gunman drove up and opened fire.
Rescuers from Magen David Adom found Shakron unconscious inside a vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics provided emergency trauma care, including hemorrhage control and blood products, before transporting him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Samaria Regional Council subsequently confirmed his passing.
The Manhunt and Arrest in Ramallah
Following the attack, the assailant exited his vehicle armed and fled on foot. According to initial reports, the gunman was likely wounded during an exchange of fire with Israeli troops. The military launched a large-scale manhunt, deploying aerial drones and air force assets while encircling the village of Deir Nizam and distributing photographs of the suspect’s red SUV.
After a tracking operation lasting several hours, soldiers from the Duvdevan unit located and arrested the suspect inside a hospital in Ramallah, where he had taken refuge.
Victim Profile and Community Reaction
Shakron worked as an information systems analyst for Hachshara Insurance, and his wife, Dr. Meirav Shakron, teaches at Ariel University. The couple shared six children; the eldest is in eleventh grade and the youngest is four years old. Local social services from the Samaria Regional Council and emergency intervention teams are providing support to the family.
Samaria Regional Council Chairman Yossi Dagan visited the family home following the attack, describing Shakron as a generous, humble, and devoted father. “He was murdered after finishing his immersion with his son before Yom Kippur,” Dagan stated. Binyamin Regional Council and Yesha Council Chairman Yisrael Ganz praised the rapid response of security forces while calling for expanded operations against illegal weapons and terrorist infrastructure in the region.
Government Response and Security Directives
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued condolences to the family and delivered a stern warning to those involved in the attack. “No terrorist is immune, nor those who assist them,” Netanyahu said, vowing that Israel would hold accountable the perpetrators of attacks across Gaza, Lebanon, and Judea and Samaria.
The Prime Minister directed security officials to immediately initiate proceedings to demolish the assailant’s home and ordered the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet security agency to intensify operations throughout Judea and Samaria.
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