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A “devoted” father of six who and killed by a terrorist ahead of Yom Kippur saved the life of his eldest son by alerting him to the presence of the attacker seconds earlier.
Netanel Shukrun, who was believed to have been in his thirties, was laid to rest late on Monday in his home community of Alei Zahav, on the western edge of the northern West Bank, with hundreds of mourners attending the funeral.
Shukrun had travelled with his eldest son, Yoav, to a spring near the Neve Tzuf settlement, also known as Halamish, on Sunday to immerse himself in the water, a custom observed by some Jews before the Day of Atonement.
According to an initial IDF investigation, the Palestinian gunman opened fire from a vehicle, hitting Shukrun while he was inside his own car.
Shukrun’s widow, Meirav, told mourners that her husband had managed to alert their son in the moments before he was shot.
“At the last second, he warned Yoav,” she said, thanking her husband for his bravery and describing him as a devoted father.
Yoav also paid tribute to his father, saying his warning had allowed him to escape.
“Thank you for shouting to me when the terrorist came in,” he said. “Thank you for saving my life.”
Hundreds of people, including children and teenagers, attended the funeral, alongside Israel’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and IDF Central Command chief Major General Avi Bluth.
Shukrun was evacuated to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva after medics carried out CPR and restored his pulse, but he later died from his injuries.
After the shooting, the attacker abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot while armed, prompting a large-scale manhunt involving troops, special forces, drones and Israeli Air Force aircraft.
The IDF said a military tracker shot and wounded the suspect as he fled. Soldiers from the elite Duvdevan commando unit later tracked him to a hospital in the Ramallah area, where he was arrested.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered additional forces into the West Bank following the shooting, along with closures and further arrests.
“No terrorist is immune, nor are those who assisted them,” Netanyahu said. “We will hold them all accountable.”
Hamas praised the shooting but did not claim responsibility.
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