Teen Witness Urges Soldier to Stop Terrorist During West Bank Attack

Shila Mertzbach, a teenager present during a deadly attack last Friday in the Sela Ridge area between Mount Bracha and Gilad Farm, recounted the harrowing moments and criticized the military's response. Mertzbach described how he grabbed a soldier on site and urged him to act against the attacker, saying, "I grab the soldier, tell him: stop the conversation or shoot him. He’s the one running everything here." He also tried to comfort a younger boy nearby, telling him, "Brother, it’s all good, the IDF has arrived."

Despite the arrival of Israeli forces, Mertzbach expressed frustration, stating, "We realize the IDF is here and simply does nothing." His account drew a response from the widow of the late Benyahu Maltz, who defended the soldiers, attributing the hesitation to a deeply ingrained command culture. She said, "The soldiers on the ground are not to blame; it’s simply the mindset, the spirit of the commander that has taken root here. The hesitation whether to shoot or not is the difference between life and death."

The testimony highlights ongoing concerns about the IDF’s operational decisions during terror incidents in the West Bank and the psychological pressures faced by soldiers in split-second life-or-death situations.