Tracker Shoots Terrorist, Saves Son of Slain Israeli Man

New details have emerged regarding a deadly attack near the Ein Ri'a spring in the Benjamin region on Yom Kippur eve, where Natanel (Nati) Shkaron was murdered. The assailant, identified as 37-year-old Hamas operative Qadri Samara, had scouted the area a full day prior to the attack. He reportedly exploited the tradition of many Israelis visiting springs for ritual immersion on Yom Kippur eve, approaching the site near the settlement of Neve Tzuf.

Samara opened fire on Shkaron's vehicle. Shkaron, a father of six from the Ali Zahav settlement, was killed, but his 16-year-old son, who was with him in the car, escaped unharmed. A tracker from the Benjamin Brigade, who was in the vicinity in an armored vehicle, responded by shooting and wounding the attacker, preventing him from continuing his assault and thereby saving Shkaron's son.

The initial investigation suggests the terrorist acted alone. After being wounded, Samara fled to a clinic in Ramallah for treatment. Security forces launched a manhunt, and Duvdevan unit soldiers located and apprehended him at the clinic. Videos circulated on Palestinian social media showing soldiers around his hospital bed.

Following the attack, IDF forces also raided the town of Biddu, northwest of Jerusalem, where the terrorist resided. Palestinian reports indicated that forces surrounded a mosque and detained dozens of people, allegedly holding around 50 individuals in a house seized by the troops.

Natanel Shkaron worked as an information systems analyst and is survived by his wife, Merav, and their six children. The community of Ali Zahav eulogized him as a kind, humble, and beloved man, a devoted husband and father. The Shkaron family is described as long-standing and integral to the community, which pledged its full support to Merav and the children.