Israeli forces demolish home of Netanel Shukrun’s killer

The Israel Defense Forces last week demolished the home of the terrorist who murdered Israeli civilian Netanel Shukrun near Neveh Tzuf in the Binyamin region on Sept. 20.

IDF troops, including members of the special operations engineering Yahalom Unit, together with Judea and Samaria Border Police officers from the Binyamin Brigade, carried out the demolition in the area of the Palestinian village of Biddu northwest of Jerusalem on Wednesday, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said.

Israeli forces also demolished monuments that incite terrorism and glorify terrorists throughout Judea and Samaria, the military said.

In addition, IDF, Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet), Judea and Samaria Border Police and the Judea and Samaria District Police forces carried out joint raids on terrorist targets with a special focus on wanted individuals who incite terrorism.

Dozens of these suspects have expressed support for the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in the northwestern Negev, the IDF said.

Palestinians affiliated with Hamas were also apprehended, as well as individuals engaged in transferring funds for terrorist causes.

Overall, Israeli forces combed through more than 600 sites and confiscated military gear and incitement materials, according to the military.

“Security forces will continue to take the initiative and conduct offensive operations to thwart terrorism throughout Judea and Samaria, and will work to bring to justice every terrorist who seeks to harm Israeli civilians and security forces,” the army stated.

Demolishing homes of terrorists is a legal procedure that traces back to the British Mandate’s regulations of 1945. The policy was revived by the Jewish state following the First and Second Intifadas in the late 80s and the early 2000s, respectively, as a counterterrorism deterrence measure.

Netanel Shukrun saved his son

The Israeli killed last month near Neveh Tzuf was a father of six and lived in the Israeli community of Alei Zahav in the western part of Samaria. He was murdered at the Ein Raya spring, where he had gone with his eldest son, Yoav, 16, to immerse ahead of Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.

After his funeral, his son, Yoav Shukrun, recounted the horrifying moment when the terrorist opened fire at his father.

“We arrived at the spring ahead of Yom Kippur, immersed in the water, and then went back up to the parking lot,” Yoav Shukrun related in Hebrew, speaking on Sept. 22 with Israel’s Kan public radio station.

“We got into the car. Dad sat in the back seat and dried himself off, while I sat in the passenger seat next to the driver. Suddenly he shouted at me, ‘Yoav, there’s a terrorist here,’ or ‘Yoav, this is a terror attack,’ something along the lines of ‘run.’ I didn’t realize there was an attack until he shouted. I turned my head and saw the terrorist actually shooting at Dad,” he said.

“The terrorist came from my side. He was a few centimeters away from me, but he didn’t shoot at me immediately; instead, he opened fire at Dad. At that point, I moved between the seats to the driver’s side, opened the door, and ran. The terrorist continued shooting at me as I ran to hide among the bushes on the other side of the road,” Yoav continued.

The teenager hid in the bushes until a military vehicle arrived at the scene.

“After the soldiers fired several shots, I went back to the car. About two minutes had passed. I saw Dad lying there inside the vehicle, and I immediately understood from his injuries that he was gone,” he added.

Yom Kippur was “very difficult and special. Suddenly you understand the true meaning of the Day of Judgment,” said Yoav.