It has been cleared for publication that Aharon Cohen, 65, a veteran resident of Kiryat Arba, was murdered in the stabbing and ramming terror attack at the Gush Etzion Junction.
His funeral will depart at 21:00 from the eulogy hall in Industrial Zone A. He is survived by six children and grandchildren.
The Municipality of Kiryat Arba-Hebron released a statement: “The Kiryat Arba-Hebron community bows its head and shares in the grief of the Cohen family following the murder by evildoers of Aharon Cohen, may God avenge his blood, a resident of Kiryat Arba-Hebron and one of the city’s longtime members. On behalf of all the residents, we send our sincerest condolences to the dear family and embrace them warmly in this difficult hour.”
In the attack, a woman in her 40s was seriously wounded, and a man around 30 and a 15-year-old boy were moderately injured. They were evacuated to Shaare Zedek Medical Center and Hadassah Ein Kerem in Jerusalem. The two terrorists, residents of the Palestinian town of Beit Ummar near Hebron, were eliminated at the scene.
A preliminary investigation found that the terrorists first attempted to run over pedestrians at the Gush Etzion Junction. They then exited their vehicle, pulled out knives, and stabbed passersby. Armed civilians and reservists from the IDF’s 7491 Battalion who identified the attackers opened fire. The IDF reported that several pipe bombs were found in the terrorists’ vehicle.
The head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council, Yaron Rosenthal, responded to the attack, criticizing the U.S.-backed UN Security Council resolution: “Once again, terror raises its head-less than 24 hours after the UN passed a resolution intended to eventually legitimize a Palestinian state, which would benefit those seeking to destroy us. It is time to act against terror in Judea and Samaria just as we have done in Gaza.”
The Yesha Council also responded: “When the State of Israel silently allows a ‘pathway to a Palestinian state,’ terror resurfaces. We have said all along: it is either sovereignty or a Palestinian state. The Israeli government avoided sovereignty, and we now face winds filling the sails of a terror state in the heart of our land. We call on the chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, MK Boaz Bismuth, to immediately advance the sovereignty bill that passed its preliminary reading and must now be urgently promoted in his committee.”
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee stated following the attack: "Terrorists murdered an innocent man - may his memory be a blessing - and injured several others in a vicious attack near Gush Etzion Junction today. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel and fully condemn these cowardly acts of savage violence. Janet and I pray for the victims and their families."