Itamar Cohen, aged 51, one of the founders of the agricultural farm movement in Judea and Samaria, was severely wounded on Thursday in a stabbing attack at the Avraham Farm adjacent to Alon Moreh in Samaria while working to extinguish a fire that broke out at the scene.
According to the IDF, during the attempts to extinguish the fire, two terrorists stabbed an Israeli civilian. An additional Israeli civilian at the scene identified the terror attack and eliminated the two terrorists.
The Israeli civilian who was injured was evacuated by a Unit 669 helicopter for further medical treatment at a hospital.
IDF soldiers are conducting searches in the area of Beit Furik and have imposed a temporary cordon on the area.
Police teams are also at the scene, where they are collecting evidence and investigating the incident.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service reported: "At 11:36, MDA Yarkon's 101 hotline received a report of a man who was stabbed near a farm in the Shechem sector. MDA EMTs and paramedics, together with IDF medical forces, are providing medical care to a 51-year-old man in serious condition at the scene. At the scene, there are two neutralized Palestinians."
MDA EMT Israel Arbus reported from the scene: "While providing medical cover at the scene of a fire, civilians called out to us that a man had been stabbed. We immediately ran to him and saw a 51-year-old man suffering from stab wounds to his body. We provided life-saving medical treatment, including bleeding control, and together with IDF medical personnel, evacuated him to the hospital in serious condition. Two Palestinian assailants were neutralized at the scene."
Israeli Minister of Defense commented on the attack, wishing a speedy recovery to the victim and commending the IDF soldiers and security forces who acted quickly, decisively, and professionally to eliminate the despicable terrorists.
According to the Minister, “Thanks to the offensive policy we are leading and the relentless activity of the security forces, Palestinian terrorism has declined by more than 80%. But we must not be mistaken, Palestinian terrorism still exists, and we will continue to act against it at any time and in any place."
He pledged that “just as we defeated the terrorist infrastructure in the terror camps of Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur al-Shams, we will act wherever terrorists attempt to launch attacks against Israeli civilians. The IDF will not hesitate to enter additional villages and camps, strike the terrorists and those who send them, and defeat every terrorist stronghold that threatens the security of our citizens.
Katz concluded: “Terrorism will not deter us or achieve its objectives. On the contrary, just as we have established 104 new communities and legalized 160 agricultural farms, we will continue to strengthen settlement, establish additional communities, authorize more farms as part of Israel's security doctrine, and continue developing Judea and Samaria while safeguarding the security of its residents and all Israeli citizens."
At the same time, firefighters from the Samaria district, assisted by two firefighting aircraft from the Elad Squadron, are working to contain a fire that broke out at the Derech Avraham Farm near the community of Elon Moreh in Samaria.
Teams at the scene reported an extensive line of fire and difficulties reaching all of the blaze's central points from the ground. However, the fire's spread towards the farm itself has been stopped.
Following a situational assessment and an analysis of the terrain and weather conditions, a decision was made to dispatch firefighting aircraft to the area.