Israeli Man Killed in West Bank Shooting, Gunman Captured

Natanel Shkaron, a resident of the settlement of Ali Zahav and father of six, has been identified as the victim of a shooting attack that occurred Sunday near the settlement of Neve Tzuf in the Benjamin region. Shkaron was at the Ein Ra'aya spring with his eldest son to immerse himself before Yom Kippur when the assailant opened fire, critically wounding him. He was evacuated to Beilinson Hospital, where doctors later pronounced him dead. Shkaron worked as an information systems analyst and is survived by his wife, Dr. Meirav Shkaron, a lecturer at Ariel University, and their six children.

Following the attack, a tracker from the Benjamin Brigade, operating near the scene, returned fire and wounded the attacker. The gunman managed to escape and was later apprehended by Duvdevan Unit soldiers at a hospital in Ramallah. The arrest was part of a manhunt coordinated by the Shin Bet security agency, involving the IDF, the Judea and Samaria Police, and intelligence units. The suspect is expected to be transferred for interrogation by the Shin Bet and Israel Police, while efforts continue to locate any accomplices.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi visited the attack site and held a situation assessment. He ordered a lockdown of the surrounding area, continued pursuit of accomplices, and the sealing and demolition of the attacker's home. Kochavi stated, "This is a difficult attack, and I send our condolences to the victim's family. We achieved a swift closure, the despicable terrorist was captured by IDF forces. Our mission is not over, we will impose a lockdown on the village, conduct investigations, and thereby reach everyone who assisted the terrorist." He added that the military was on high alert during the Yom Kippur fast.

Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan eulogized Shkaron as a "man of kindness, a humble and loving person, a devoted family man." Dagan urged the security establishment to transition from defensive to offensive operations, calling for a widespread operation throughout the region to collect weapons and reinstate security checkpoints. The community of Ali Zahav also mourned Shkaron, describing him as "beloved, kind, humble, modest, and loved, a devoted husband to Meirav and a devoted father to his six children."

The funeral for Natanel Shkaron is scheduled to take place Tuesday evening at 10:30 PM at the Ali Zahav cemetery.