A tense incident in Netivot on Wednesday ended without injuries after a security guard barricaded himself in his home and threatened to kill himself. Police said his wife and children were inside the house, but he did not threaten them and they were never in danger.
Police, along with municipal patrol officers, rushed to the scene after the distress call. A large force from the Southern District and Border Police arrived, as did the Israel Police negotiation team and Mas'akhhazan Ariel Morazhanov, a resident of Ofakim who serves in the Southern District investigative unit and was brought in to lead talks with the man. YAMAM special police officers were also on standby as an intervention force.
Morazhanov had previously negotiated with the terrorists at the Aderi family home during the October 7 attack, helping save lives. In this case, the guard, described by people familiar with the matter as suffering from post-traumatic stress after military service, held a pistol but never pointed it at his wife or children. After discussions with the negotiation team and officers from the Ofek unit, he lowered his weapon and was taken for further police questioning.
The police later said the event ended peacefully and the area was brought back under control. Netivot city hall said the complex and sensitive incident concluded without loss of life thanks to the "professional, responsible and sensitive action of all the parties involved." Mayor Yehiel Zohar said the city stands with the resident and his family, will continue to support them as needed, and asked the public to respect their privacy and avoid spreading unverified information.
