IDF Officer Benyahu Malat Killed in West Bank Terror Attack, Laid to Rest in Military Funeral

Benyahu Malat, a 32-year-old security team member at Gilead Farm, was killed in a terror attack near the farm in the West Bank on Friday. Malat, a father of two daughters aged 12 and 13, was shot while bravely assisting a group of hikers under attack by terrorists. He is survived by his wife Esther and daughters Tair Eretz and Adama Ivriya. Malat was honored in a military funeral in the Samaria region.

The second victim of the attack was Lieutenant Colonel Yuval Ezra, a resident of Herzliya and an artillery company commander in the IDF. Both men were killed in the shooting incident near Gilead Farm.

The Samaria Regional Council head, Yossi Dagan, eulogized Malat as a dedicated family man and patriot who was committed to protecting Israel’s lands. He emphasized that despite the attack, settlement growth in Samaria would continue and strengthen.

Following the attack, IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir held a situation assessment with Central Command and Operations Directorate leaders, ordering a broad reinforcement of forces to secure the area and capture all terrorists involved. The IDF is conducting extensive operations in nearby villages including Beit Furik and Tubas.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz convened with the security cabinet and decided on several measures: demolishing the terrorist’s home near the village of Tal, intensified operations in terror hotspots including weapons seizures and revoking work permits, increasing troop deployments across the West Bank, separating traffic routes with checkpoints, and accelerating regulation and establishment of new farms.

The Shin Bet chief, David Zini, also held a briefing at the attack site, stressing the severity of the incident and the ongoing joint efforts with the IDF to prevent terrorism. He called on the public to avoid vigilantism and trust security forces to protect Israeli citizens and defeat terror.

The government extended condolences to the Malat family and wished recovery to the wounded, reaffirming support for security forces and settlers standing firm against terrorism.