Many hundreds of people took part in the funeral this afternoon of Yaakov Zagha, 40 years old and father of 6, who was murdered while defending his family from a Palestinian terrorist late Friday night. He was buried in a full military ceremony, as he was a member of his town's emergency response team.
After midnight on Friday night, a 20-year-old terrorist entered the northern Samaria (Shomron) community of Avnei Heifetz, just southeast of Tul Karem and some 10 miles east of Netanya. He entered via an area of the town that was not fenced in, and made his way towards the residential area. He passed by two homes whose lights were off, and then arrived at the Zagha home. He kicked in a light laundry-room door and opened fire with his AK-47 assault rifle. Fourteen-year-old Chani, the oldest child, immediately ran to get her 3-year-old sister, and, because they were unable to get to their reinforced "protected room," their mother told everyone to hide under the beds. Chani, walking/crawling with her little sister, was shot in the leg/pelvis area, but continued on, despite the pain. Kobi, in the meantime, ran outside with his handgun to try to protect his family. It is unclear whether he was able to shoot, but the terrorist fired two fatal shots to Kobi's head. The murderer then continued onto other homes, throwing at least one grenade into one of them, and within a few minutes, quickly-arriving and alert IDF forces succeeded in killing him.
Since the beginning of the Oslo War in September 2000, Palestinian terrorists have carried out 21 infiltrations into Yesha communities during the Sabbath and Jewish holidays, claiming the lives of 41 Israelis.
A close relative who was with Chani in the hospital told Ynet, "Esther, Kobi's wife, is a psychologist [who treats, among others, families of terror victims], and she behaved according to all the rules that she has always taught others. After Chani was taken to the hospital, Esther took the children to part from their father. The body was covered, and they stood a short distance away, and they parted. She simply took charge... I was the one who told Chani that her father had been killed. She kept on asking what's with Abba [Dad], over and over, until I was finally forced to tell her the bitter news. What was important for her was the knowledge that she had saved Techiyah, but even more, that her father, by shooting at the terrorist, had saved the family."
The terrorist was an 18-year-old resident of nearby PA-controlled Tul Karem who was released only four days ago from General Security Service custody. Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad have claimed responsibility for the fatal attack.
Security forces began placing a barbed wire fence along the western side of Avnei Heifetz this morning - the area through which the terrorist infiltrated the town. Some 180 families live in Avnei Heifetz.
After midnight on Friday night, a 20-year-old terrorist entered the northern Samaria (Shomron) community of Avnei Heifetz, just southeast of Tul Karem and some 10 miles east of Netanya. He entered via an area of the town that was not fenced in, and made his way towards the residential area. He passed by two homes whose lights were off, and then arrived at the Zagha home. He kicked in a light laundry-room door and opened fire with his AK-47 assault rifle. Fourteen-year-old Chani, the oldest child, immediately ran to get her 3-year-old sister, and, because they were unable to get to their reinforced "protected room," their mother told everyone to hide under the beds. Chani, walking/crawling with her little sister, was shot in the leg/pelvis area, but continued on, despite the pain. Kobi, in the meantime, ran outside with his handgun to try to protect his family. It is unclear whether he was able to shoot, but the terrorist fired two fatal shots to Kobi's head. The murderer then continued onto other homes, throwing at least one grenade into one of them, and within a few minutes, quickly-arriving and alert IDF forces succeeded in killing him.
Since the beginning of the Oslo War in September 2000, Palestinian terrorists have carried out 21 infiltrations into Yesha communities during the Sabbath and Jewish holidays, claiming the lives of 41 Israelis.
A close relative who was with Chani in the hospital told Ynet, "Esther, Kobi's wife, is a psychologist [who treats, among others, families of terror victims], and she behaved according to all the rules that she has always taught others. After Chani was taken to the hospital, Esther took the children to part from their father. The body was covered, and they stood a short distance away, and they parted. She simply took charge... I was the one who told Chani that her father had been killed. She kept on asking what's with Abba [Dad], over and over, until I was finally forced to tell her the bitter news. What was important for her was the knowledge that she had saved Techiyah, but even more, that her father, by shooting at the terrorist, had saved the family."
The terrorist was an 18-year-old resident of nearby PA-controlled Tul Karem who was released only four days ago from General Security Service custody. Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad have claimed responsibility for the fatal attack.
Security forces began placing a barbed wire fence along the western side of Avnei Heifetz this morning - the area through which the terrorist infiltrated the town. Some 180 families live in Avnei Heifetz.