4-Year-Old Cousin Recovers After Attack That Killed 7-Year-Old in Beit Shemesh Birthday Party

A day after 7-year-old Hillel Mordechai Dadon was fatally stabbed during a birthday party in Beit Shemesh, his 4-year-old cousin, who was also seriously injured in the violent attack, regained consciousness at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem. Upon waking, the younger boy told family members, "He kicked me with lots of blood." Hillel was laid to rest at the Beit Shemesh cemetery at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. The 25-year-old neighbor suspected of the murder will be brought to court for an extension of his detention.

Both children were under the supervision of a 15-year-old relative during the party when the attack occurred near a home pool. Magen David Adom teams evacuated the injured boys to the hospital, but doctors were unable to save Hillel. Police are investigating a possible family dispute as the motive behind the attack.

Relatives expressed deep sorrow and shock over the tragedy. One family member lamented that Hillel was "a child who should have been carrying a new backpack and excited about friends," questioning what he saw in his final moments. Hillel's father, Amos, described his son as a joyful, hardworking child excelling in school and football, who was about to start second grade. He recalled Hillel's love for learning, including reading Aramaic, and the close bond they shared. "I hope to be strong," Amos said, "but all my strength was taken by him. He was a gift for seven and a half years, and yesterday the gift ended."