Man Murdered in West Bank Shooting Attack Before Yom Kippur

Natanel Sharon, a resident of the settlement of Ali Zahav in the Samaria region, was killed in a shooting attack near the Ein Ra'aya spring close to Neve Tzuf in the Benjamin region on the eve of Yom Kippur. Sharon, a father of six, had gone to the spring with his eldest son to immerse himself before the holy day. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Mirav Sharon, a lecturer at Ariel University, and their six children, the oldest in 11th grade and the youngest four years old. Natanel worked as an information systems analyst for Hachshara Insurance Company.

The Samaria Regional Council announced the death, with Council Chairman Yossi Dagan stating from the family's home that the community was "in a very difficult event together with all of Israel." He described Sharon as a "man of kindness, a humble and loving person, a devoted family man" and vowed that "these barbarians will never break us" and "we will build the Land of Israel even more."

Dagan called on the Israeli government and senior command to "move from defense to offense, launch an operation throughout the area, go house by house, collect weapons, and restore security checkpoints." He added, "On the eve of Yom Kippur, we are pained, but we are not broken. A thousand such despicable terrorists will not defeat us."

Forces from the IDF's Benjamin Regional Brigade, the Duvdevan unit, additional reinforcement companies, and the Israel Police launched a pursuit of the attacker. The terrorist was later apprehended inside a hospital in Ramallah. During the pursuit, a tracker in the area shot and wounded the suspect.

The community of Ali Zahav issued a statement mourning Sharon as a "beloved friend, a man of kindness, humble, modest, and loved, a devoted husband to Mirav and a devoted father to his six children." They pledged to support his family during this difficult time.