Two children were stabbed and one was murdered this afternoon (Monday) in Beit Shemesh.
The children who were stabbed are six and seven years old. One of the children was critically injured in the stabbing while the other is in serious condition. They were evacuated to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem, where the critically injured child died from his injuries. The murdered childhas been identified as seven-year-old Hillel Mordechai Dadon.
The incident is believed to be criminal in nature.
Medical personnel were called to the scene of the stabbing and began treating the children.
Eyewitnesses claimed that gunshots were also heard along with the stabbings. Police at the scene are investigating the circumstances of the incident and have arrested a suspect.
An initial investigation indicates that the stabber may have been a mentally unstable neighbor. The children's father arrived home and found them injured and called the emergency number.
Yaakov Jungreis, Moshe Siruka and Elia Assulin, paramedics from United Hatzalah, said: "We were informed at the scene that they were injured as a result of violence. With the assistance of additional paramedics, we provided initial medical treatment at the scene to two victims (ages 4 and 6) whose condition is described as critical and serious. They were then evacuated to a hospital for further medical treatment. United Hatzalah's resilience unit teams are providing psychological support due to the nature of the incident."