JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli security forces restored calm to the Arab village of Huwara following the murder Sunday afternoon of two brothers, Hillel and Yagel Yaniv, ages 21 and 19, from the nearby Jewish community of Har Bracha, who were shot as they sat in their car.
Palestinians in the town handed out sweets after the killings.
Hundreds of angry Israelis descended on Huwara Sunday evening, setting fires and clashing with Palestinians. Security forces used tear gas and stun grenades to stop the disturbance.
Palestinian sources claimed 1 Palestinian was killed and more than 100 wounded in the melee.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the violence, asking citizens not to take the law into their own hands, and promising that the murders would be avenged.
Netanyahu sent condolences to the Yaniv family who he said “lost two dear sons.” He added, “The IDF and the security forces are currently in pursuit of the murderer. We will find him. We will apprehend him and we will settle accounts with him. I ask – even when the blood is boiling – not to take the law into one’s hands. I ask that the IDF and the security forces be allowed to carry out their work. I remind you that in recent weeks, they have targeted dozens of terrorists and thwarted dozens of attacks.”
The alleged murderer emerged from a car Sunday afternoon and reportedly shot the Yanivs at near point-blank range, killing them both.
The incident brings the death toll in the past month to 13 Israelis killed in terrorist attacks, and residents in the northern West Bank (biblical Samaria) are urging the government to take stronger action.
The alleged shooter fled the area, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continue the manhunt.
Huwara is south of Nablus (biblical Shechem, home of Joseph’s Tomb), the site of frequent terrorist activity and a number of Israeli security raids in recent months.
Huwara lies on Route 60, a road traveled by many Israelis to reach Jewish communities in Samaria. The terrorist reportedly used an M16 automatic weapon.
The chair of the Samaria Regional Council, Yossi Dagan said, “Unfortunately, this is a very serious incident, the government must change the paradigm and move from defense to offense. It cannot be that in the middle of the day, terrorists are free to shoot innocent civilians.”
Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited the murder site in Hurawa Monday, calling it “a cruel attack. He said, “It is heartbreaking to think of the immense pain of the family that lost both of its sons – Hillel and Yagel. It is a terrible thing.”
Gallant cautioned that Israel faces difficult days ahead, and he’s given instructions to Israel’s security forces: “Ensure readiness to face all threats, reinforce troops and activities on the ground, and most importantly, reach and apprehend the terrorists. We will not tolerate terrorism against Israelis and we will operate in every way necessary.”
Arutz Sheva reported Sunday morning that Israel had agreed to reduce its counter-terrorism operations to attend an emergency summit Sunday with the Palestinian Authority, which included officials from the U.S. and Egypt, at the Jordanian Red Sea port of Aqaba. The agreement was designed to give the Palestinian Authority time to arrest suspected terrorists in areas such Nablus, rather than the IDF.
U.S State Department Spokesman Nick Price condemned the violence on both sides and tweeted “These developments underscore the imperative to immediately de-escalate tensions in words and deeds. He added, “The United States will continue to work with Israelis and Palestinians and our regional partners towards restoring calm.”
After Sunday’s shooting, Dagan insisted, “The ferocity of terrorism proves that there is no deterrence. The instructions for opening fire must be changed, the checkpoints must be returned, and the terrorist infrastructure of the Palestinian Authority must be proactively degraded.”
Meanwhile, the Yaniv brothers’ mother, Esti, issued a statement saying in part, “We have a huge hole in our heart; nothing will ever fill this hole – not construction, not protests, nothing.” In the midst of the tragedy, she said, “God sends us graces, even with this painful blow, He sends us graces.”
Walla News reports the brothers will be buried Monday, side by side, at Jerusalem’s Mt. Herzl Cemetery.
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