Israeli Farmer Attacked with Batons After Filming Suspicious ATV in Upper Galilee

On Thursday afternoon around 17:15 near the Moshav Shde Eliezer in the Upper Galilee, 65-year-old farmer Efraim Halfela was attacked after photographing a suspicious ATV without a visible license plate on his grazing land. Halfela, who was accompanied by his five-year-old grandson, noticed the black ATV parked with a folded license plate and took a photo out of concern for cattle theft. Shortly after, the ATV followed him, and two masked men confronted him, demanding he delete the photo. When he refused, one assailant struck him repeatedly with a baton in front of his grandson, who shouted in distress.

Halfela managed to escape on the ATV with his grandson, pursued by the attackers for about four kilometers until reaching a military base area where the chase ended. His son, Yair Halfela, a Golani Brigade soldier with extensive reserve service, shared the incident on social media, emphasizing the need for sovereignty and law enforcement in the area rather than revenge. Yair highlighted ongoing security challenges faced by local farmers and expressed concern over the violent attack on his elderly father and traumatized nephew.

The family has lived and worked the land for decades, raising 150 head of cattle, and refuses to accept the current lack of state presence and protection in the region. The Israel Police confirmed an investigation is underway to locate the suspects and uncover the full circumstances of the assault.