Elderly Man Dies After Falling While Building Sukkot Booth

An 84-year-old man died on Sunday afternoon after falling from a height while constructing a sukkah, the temporary booth used during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The incident occurred around 1:40 PM on Matityahu Street in the Hazait neighborhood of Efrat, a settlement in the West Bank. Emergency medical services (Magen David Adom) were dispatched to the scene but were forced to pronounce the man dead. Volunteers from ZAKA, an Israeli emergency response organization, also attended the scene to handle the deceased's dignity and collect evidence. According to ZAKA officials, the man had been on his balcony building the sukkah when he fell. ZAKA's Gush Etzion regional commander, Eyal Ehrenstam, described the event as "difficult," confirming the man fell while attempting to build the sukkah on his home's balcony. Following ZAKA's recommendation, the deceased was released for burial.