Son Recounts Father's Murder During Yom Kippur Attack

Yoav, the 16-year-old son of Natanel Shkaron, who was killed in a shooting attack in the Benjamin region on the eve of Yom Kippur, described the terrifying moments his father was murdered before his eyes. The family had arrived at a spring for the holiday, and after dipping in the water, they returned to their car. Yoav recounted that his father, sitting in the back seat, suddenly shouted at him, "Yoav, there's a terrorist here" or "Yoav, it's an attack," urging him to flee. Yoav initially didn't realize the severity of the situation until his father's warning. He then turned and saw the terrorist shooting directly at his father.

The terrorist approached from Yoav's side, just centimeters away, but initially fired at his father before turning his attention to Yoav as he scrambled between seats to escape the car. Yoav fled the vehicle and ran to hide in bushes across the road, with the terrorist continuing to shoot at him. He remained hidden until military forces arrived and engaged the attacker.

After the soldiers fired several shots, Yoav returned to the car approximately two minutes later. He saw his father deceased inside the vehicle, recognizing the fatal injuries immediately. Yoav noted that other visitors at the spring, about a minute's walk away, had not initially noticed the attack. He described the recent Yom Kippur as extremely difficult and profound, making him understand the true meaning of the Day of Judgment. He remembered his father as someone who was always helpful and wished for him to be remembered for his smile.