Shepherd Severely Beaten in East Gush Etzion Amidst Arab Mob Attack

A shepherd from Givat Mikneh Avraham in eastern Gush Etzion was violently attacked by a group of Bedouins from the nearby Rashida village on the morning of the incident. The shepherd had gone out with his flock to graze when, after about an hour, he reported that the attackers, armed with sticks and stones, began surrounding him. Local residents who rushed to the scene found him lying unconscious on the ground with approximately ten assailants on top of him. They managed to disperse the attackers, who continued throwing stones at the evacuation forces. Two additional Israelis were injured during the altercation.

The shepherd was evacuated unconscious and later regained consciousness en route to Shaare Zedek Medical Center, where he was admitted along with the two other injured individuals. The attackers fled back to their village. Israeli Defense Forces and police arrived at the scene and announced they would conduct searches, but no arrests have been reported so far.

Residents of the area noted that the same shepherd had suffered a severe head injury about a year ago during a similar attack in the grazing fields. At that time, he was hospitalized, recovered, and returned to tend his flock. Following the previous attack, two suspects were briefly detained but released after a few days.