Israeli Man Murdered in West Bank Shooting Attack; Gunman Arrested

A 36-year-old Israeli man, Natanel Shokron, a father of six, was killed in a shooting attack near the settlement of Neve Tzuf in the Benjamin region of the West Bank on Sunday. The attack occurred at the Ein Ri'a spring, where Shokron had gone with his eldest son to immerse himself ahead of Yom Kippur. The gunman, identified as 37-year-old Hamas operative Qadri Samara from the village of Biddu, opened fire from a vehicle with Palestinian license plates before fleeing the scene. Shokron was evacuated to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, where he was pronounced dead.

Following an extensive manhunt involving IDF, police, and special forces units, including helicopters and drones, Samara was apprehended hours later near Ramallah. He was found hiding in a hospital. The IDF announced plans to demolish Samara's home.

In a separate incident approximately an hour later, two soldiers from the Paratroopers Brigade were targeted in an attempted ramming attack at the Ganim checkpoint in the northern West Bank. Israeli forces returned fire, killing one suspect and apprehending another. No Israeli soldiers were injured in this incident.

Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and President Isaac Herzog, condemned the attack and vowed to pursue those involved in terrorism. Netanyahu stated that no terrorist is immune and ordered increased security operations in the West Bank. Local officials from the Samaria Regional Council and the settlement of Eli Zahav expressed grief over Shokron's death, highlighting his role as a community member and family man.