Netanel Shakron, Father of Six, Murdered in Ein Riya Terror Shooting Near Neve Tzuf

Netanel Shakron, a father of six from Alei Zahav, was fatally shot at a natural spring in the Binyamin area on the eve of Yom Kippur. Israeli forces captured the wounded suspect hours later at a medical facility near Ramallah. Hamas praised the attack, but stopped short of claiming responsibility.

Netanel Shakron, a father of six from the community of Alei Zahav, was killed Sunday in a shooting attack at the Ein Riya spring outside Neve Tzuf in Judea and Samaria.

Shakron had gone to the spring with his eldest son to immerse before Yom Kippur. His son was not physically injured.

Shakron suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was evacuated to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, where doctors pronounced him dead.

The shooting occurred shortly before Magen David Adom received an emergency call at approximately 11:29 a.m. on September 20.

Early reports differed over the precise sequence of the attack. The available evidence indicates that the gunman arrived at the spring area by vehicle, opened fire toward Israelis at the site and then fled on foot.

Some reports described the shooting as a drive by attack, while others said the attacker left the vehicle before opening fire. The precise position from which every shot was fired has not been publicly established.

An IDF Tracker Wounded the Attacker as He Fled

According to the IDF, an Israeli military combat tracker encountered the fleeing gunman shortly after the shooting and opened fire, wounding him.

The attacker nevertheless escaped the immediate area and later reached a medical facility in the Ramallah area.

Israeli forces launched a large search involving the IDF, Shin Bet and Israel Police.

At approximately 2:28 p.m., the IDF announced that troops from the Duvdevan Unit, acting on intelligence provided by the Shin Bet, had arrested the wounded suspect at the medical facility.

The suspect was captured alive.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir later visited the scene and said the operation had not ended with the arrest.

“Our mission is not over,” Zamir said.

He ordered security forces to investigate whether anyone had assisted the attacker and to take action in the suspect's hometown.

There was no confirmed evidence by the time of publication establishing that additional people participated directly in the shooting.

Who Was Netanel Shakron?

Shakron lived in Alei Zahav, an Israeli community in the Samaria Regional Council.

According to information released by his community and carried by Israeli media, he worked as an information systems analyst at Hachshara Insurance Company.

His wife, Dr. Merav Shakron, teaches computer science at Ariel University.

The couple had six children.

Shakron had gone to Ein Riya with his eldest son ahead of Yom Kippur. His son survived the attack physically unharmed.

The Alei Zahav community described Shakron as a humble and devoted husband and father and a longstanding member of the community.

Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan described him as “a man of kindness” who was humble and devoted to his family.

Reports have differed over Shakron's exact age. Several reports place him in his 30s, with Channel 13 reporting that he was 36. Other early reports gave conflicting figures.

Until a primary family or official notice settles the discrepancy, Israel News Pulse is describing him simply as being in his 30s.

What Is Known About the Suspected Attacker?

Palestinian authorities and Israeli media identified the arrested suspect as Qadri Samara, reportedly a 37 year old resident of Biddu, northwest of Jerusalem.

Israeli security reporting described him as a Hamas activist.

However, the official IDF and Shin Bet material reviewed by Israel News Pulse did not publicly establish his organizational affiliation.

That distinction is important.

A person being described as a Hamas activist does not by itself establish that Hamas planned, directed or ordered the attack.

Israeli authorities were continuing to investigate the suspect, his activities before the shooting and whether anyone assisted him.

Hamas Praised the Attack

Hamas publicly praised the shooting after it occurred.

In an Arabic statement, the organization described the attack in celebratory terms and called for further escalation.

But the statement located by Israel News Pulse did not say Hamas had admitted that they planned or carried out the attack.

Reuters likewise reported that Hamas praised the shooting but did not claim responsibility.

One Israeli outlet described the Hamas statement as an official claim of responsibility.

The Shooting Happened Outside Neve Tzuf

The attack is widely being described as the Neve Tzuf or Halamish shooting, but the precise location matters.

The shooting occurred at Ein Riya, a natural spring outside the perimeter of Neve Tzuf in the Binyamin area of Judea and Samaria.

Neve Tzuf is also historically known as Halamish, explaining why Palestinian and some international reports refer to the incident by that name.

The spring is located near Route 465 and is visited by Israelis from communities in the surrounding area.

Shakron had gone there with his son before Yom Kippur, when some observant Jews traditionally immerse in a ritual bath or natural spring before the fast.

A Separate Attack Was Reported About an Hour Later

About an hour after the Ein Riya shooting, the IDF reported a separate attempted vehicle ramming near Ganim in northern Samaria.

According to the military, soldiers opened fire, killing one alleged attacker and arresting another. No Israeli troops were reported wounded.

No evidence has been presented establishing an operational connection between the two incidents.

They should therefore be treated as separate attacks unless investigators determine otherwise.

Questions Remain After the Arrest

The capture of the suspected gunman answered the most immediate question surrounding the attack, but the investigation is continuing.

Israeli security forces are examining whether the suspect received assistance before or after the shooting, whether his reported Hamas affiliation can be formally established and whether any organization played a role in planning or directing the attack.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered reinforced security operations, arrests and additional activity in Judea and Samaria following the shooting.

The IDF also began preparations related to the suspect's home and continued efforts to identify anyone who may have assisted him.

For Shakron's family, however, the central fact is already painfully clear.

He went with his son to Ein Riya before Yom Kippur.

His son came home physically unharmed.

Netanel Shakron did not.