Three police officers were murdered Sunday morning in a terrorist shooting attack near the Tarqumiya Checkpoint in the Hebron area.
The officers were identified as Chief Inspector Arik Ben Eliyahu, First Sergeant Roni Shakuri, and Command Sergeant Major Hadas Brentz.
Chief Inspector Ben Eliyahu, 37, a resident of Kiryat Gat is survived by his wife and three children. Command Sergeant Major Brentz, 53, a resident of Sde Mosheis survived by her husband, three children, and one grandchild.
First Sergeant Shakuri, from Sderot, is survived by his wife, a daughter, a granddaughter, and three brothers. He was the father of Mor, who was murdered during the battle at the Sderot Police Station on October 7th.
First responders treated the wounded at the scene. MDA reported that two victims were critically wounded and one seriously wounded, all of whom were treated at the scene. All three victims were later declared dead.
Security forces reported that the vehicle used by the terrorists was abandoned shortly after the attack. The IDF stated "Following the initial report, terrorists arrived at the area of the Idna Tarqumiyah Junction and fired at a security vehicle. There are three injured individuals of varying degrees at the scene. Security forces have begun to search for the terrorists."
MDA said in a statement, "This morning, at 07:09, calls were received at the Magen David Adom 101 emergency call center in the Negev region about a shooting attack targeting vehicles on Route 35 near the Tarkumiya Crossing towards Hebron. Large Magen David Adom forces were immediately dispatched, including an MDA helicopter, ambulances, mobile intensive care units (MICUs), and MDA volunteers on medicycles."
"After performing resuscitation efforts, Magen David Adom paramedics were forced to pronounce the death of a woman and a man, both in their 30s. Another man, approximately 50 years old, was evacuated by MDA helicopter to Soroka Hospital while resuscitation was performed, but his death was later confirmed at the hospital."
MDA EMT Tzuriel Edri and MDA paramedic David Dahan, who were the first to arrive at the scene, reported: "This was a very severe attack. We saw a vehicle with bullet marks on a mound beside the road. Three passengers were extracted from the vehicle: two men and a woman. A man and a woman in their 30s were unconscious with gunshot wounds, with no pulse and not breathing. We fought for their lives and performed resuscitation efforts. After a few minutes, with the assistance of IDF medical forces, we had to pronounce the death of a woman in her 30s. A man in his 50s, who was also unconscious and suffering from gunshot wounds, received medical treatment and was evacuated to the helicopter pad where an MDA helicopter transported him to Soroka Hospital in critical condition while resuscitation was ongoing. The third man, around 30 years old, was also evacuated to the pad, and unfortunately, his death was confirmed there."
MDA senior EMT Mordechai Azran and MDA paramedic Efrat Hirsch reported: "A man in his 30s was extracted from the vehicle, unconscious with gunshot wounds, with no pulse and not breathing. We provided medical treatment, fought for his life, and evacuated him to the helicopter pad where an MDA helicopter was waiting. Unfortunately, we had to pronounce his death at the pad."
Senior MDA helicopter paramedic Rafi Sheva reported: "Immediately upon receiving the call about the attack, we took off with the helicopter and arrived at a nearby pad, where we met MDA intensive care units that brought two men in critical condition to the pad. One of them, a man in his 30s, was already undergoing resuscitation. Despite efforts to save him, we had to pronounce his death at the pad. Another man, around 50 years old, was also in critical condition. We tried to fight for his life and transported him by helicopter with ongoing resuscitation efforts until we reached the hospital, where we handed him over to the medical team. Shortly after, his death was confirmed."
Head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council Yaron Rosenthal responded to the attack: "Unfortunately, this morning we witnessed a serious attack on a bus in the area of Tarkumiya, which joins the car bombs on Shabbat and the explosive device that was detonated last week in the east of Gush Etzion. We must preemptively go out to a purge operation of the terrorist nests in the Hebron district and the surrounding area. Terror must not be allowed to raise its head. I send my best wishes for a speedy recovery to the wounded and encourage the IDF soldiers who are fighting valiantly against terror."