An Israeli citizen, G., who neutralized one of the terrorists during the deadly shooting and stabbing attack at the Gush Etzion Junction today (Thursday), described the incident in which a 22-year-old man. According to G., the terrorist opened fire, and the incident unfolded while he was standing in line at the supermarket checkout.
"I heard shots, and someone came into the supermarket shouting that there were terrorists outside," G. recalled. "I dropped everything and immediately ran outside with another soldier who was dressed in civilian clothes."
G. recounted that the terrorists had taken cover behind a car. He and the other soldier opened fire on them and successfully neutralized them. "There were a lot of shots; at first, we didn’t know exactly where they were coming from. Eventually, we managed to locate the two terrorists hiding, and we eliminated them."
Another eyewitness, Ilan, who was at the scene of the deadly attack, described to Channel 12 News: "We heard shots and people shouting. I went out with my weapon drawn and saw a shootout from all directions. They shot at a security guard from one of the communities. Luckily, there wasn’t a greater disaster."
Meir Mizrahi, who was also present, expressed concerns about friendly fire: "I heard five shots, then silence - and as I approached the scene, it was a real firefight. I yelled for people to be careful not to shoot each other by mistake. It looked like an event that could have been friendly fire."
Initial investigations revealed that two terrorists arrived in a stolen car at a branch of "Rami Levi" at the Gush Etzion Junction. They attacked the security guard with knives, stabbed him, and then stole his weapon. Afterward, the terrorists were neutralized.
New details show that the terrorists spent 40 minutes searching for parking inside the complex before attempting to enter the supermarket and shoot innocent civilians. However, they encountered a locked door. One of the terrorists shot the security guard at close range, and it’s clear that the security guard was killed by the terrorists’ gunfire, not by Israeli forces.
A video released showed the moments of terror at the scene, revealing the terrorists hiding behind a car after killing the security guard. They opened fire and were subsequently neutralized by a soldier and a civilian.
The District Commander, Major General Moshe Pinchi, spoke with G., the municipal inspector from Beit Shemesh who, along with soldiers and armed civilians, neutralized the terrorist. He praised their quick response: "Thanks to your vigilance, determination, and engagement, you ended the event quickly and prevented a bigger disaster."
Yaron Rosenthal, the head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council, added that this was a "very serious attack by murderers who only know how to kill and murder. We will continue to hold on here at the Gush Etzion Junction. We are here, where Gush Etzion began decades ago, and we will continue to build and cultivate Gush Etzion."
He added, "With God's help and with the help of the state and the IDF, we will strengthen our hold because, in the end, all these wars are one war—one war against those who do not want to see us here."
"Ultimately, Gush Etzion will grow and flourish, and that is our true answer to all the terrorists who only know how to kill and murder," Rosenthal concluded.
After the attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Rosenthal. The Prime Minister expressed his support for the Council head and the residents, and asked to convey his condolences, on behalf of his wife and him, to the family of the man murdered in the brutal terrorist shooting, as well as his wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured.
The Prime Minister praised the citizens and the security forces personnel who acted very resourcefully in eliminating the vile terrorists, saying that we will not allow terrorism in Judea and Samaria to rear its head.
In response to the attack, the Yesha Council stated: "Judea and Samaria is the only theater among all the battlefronts that has not yet undergone a strategic turn since October 7. The harsh security reality is a result of a failed policy that began with the Oslo Accords - and it’s time to change direction. The Israeli government must stop the policy of point-based retaliation and decisively defeat Arab terrorism by applying Israeli sovereignty across Judea and Samaria, alongside broad military operations."