At approximately 9:30pm last night, an IDF armored corps company commander, Captain Shachar Shmul, was shot once in the chest by an Arab sniper outside Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity. Captain Shmul was in the midst of overseeing the controlled explosion of a suspected terrorist vehicle, making sure that the flames did not damage nearby Arab homes, when he was hit. Moments earlier, a suspicious individual, spotted by Shmul’s unit, had fled from the vehicle into adjacent alleyways. Despite resuscitation efforts, Captain Shmul was pronounced dead by an emergency physician en route to Jerusalem's Hadassah Ein Karem Hospital.
Shachar Shmul was 24 years old, from Jerusalem. Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced, as the family awaits the arrival of Shmul’s father and brother from the United States. He is survived by his parents and two brothers, one a pilot and the other a paratrooper.
After receiving the news of her son’s death, Esther Shmul said, “He loved his soldiers and took great care of them. He would give up his Shabbat at home and stay with them if they had a problem.” One of Captain Shmul’s subordinates echoed Esther Shmul, saying, “He was an esteemed officer, who was tirelessly concerned about his soldiers.” Shmul’s cousin, Michal Weg, said, “The guy was addicted to the army. It's shocking how he was so cruelly killed.” Captain Shmul had just signed on for six years at the IDF Military Academy.
A Border Guard unit responding to the Bethlehem shooting came under attack as well, when Arab bomb throwers targeted the approaching force. There were no injuries in that incident. Following the sniper attack, an open-ended curfew was imposed on the city and IDF tanks have taken up positions in Bethlehem for the first time this year. This morning, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist organization claimed responsibility for last night's sniper attack.
Shachar Shmul was 24 years old, from Jerusalem. Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced, as the family awaits the arrival of Shmul’s father and brother from the United States. He is survived by his parents and two brothers, one a pilot and the other a paratrooper.
After receiving the news of her son’s death, Esther Shmul said, “He loved his soldiers and took great care of them. He would give up his Shabbat at home and stay with them if they had a problem.” One of Captain Shmul’s subordinates echoed Esther Shmul, saying, “He was an esteemed officer, who was tirelessly concerned about his soldiers.” Shmul’s cousin, Michal Weg, said, “The guy was addicted to the army. It's shocking how he was so cruelly killed.” Captain Shmul had just signed on for six years at the IDF Military Academy.
A Border Guard unit responding to the Bethlehem shooting came under attack as well, when Arab bomb throwers targeted the approaching force. There were no injuries in that incident. Following the sniper attack, an open-ended curfew was imposed on the city and IDF tanks have taken up positions in Bethlehem for the first time this year. This morning, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist organization claimed responsibility for last night's sniper attack.