Shepherd and Two Teens Injured in Terror Attack in Gush Etzion

On Sunday morning, a shepherd grazing near the Makneh Avraham hill in eastern Gush Etzion was violently attacked by about ten assailants from the nearby Palestinian village of Rasiydeh. Armed with clubs and stones, the attackers surrounded the shepherd and beat him until he lost consciousness. Local residents who arrived at the scene found the shepherd lying on the ground with the assailants still present. During their attempt to rescue him, the attackers threw stones at the residents to prevent their approach. After a struggle, the residents managed to extract the shepherd, while the attackers fled back to their village. The shepherd regained consciousness en route to medical teams. In total, three people were evacuated to Shaare Zedek Medical Center with injuries: the shepherd and two teenagers who were hurt during the rescue attempt.

This incident is not isolated; the same shepherd was severely injured in a similar attack about a year ago. At that time, two suspects were arrested but released after a few days. Following the latest attack, Israeli Defense Forces and police forces were dispatched to the area to collect evidence and search for the suspects. The police described the event as a violent clash involving stone-throwing that resulted in injuries to three Israeli shepherds. Authorities emphasized the seriousness with which they treat such violent incidents and stated that efforts are ongoing to locate, investigate, and prosecute those responsible.