Yonatan Deutsch, 23, from Beit She’an, was killed in a shooting attack in the area of the Mehola Junction in the Jordan Valley in the West Bank on Sunday afternoon. As of press time, the military was in pursuit of the terrorist.Another man, Anas Jaramana, 32, was moderately wounded in the attack. He is from the northern Arab town of Muqeible.Soldiers were deployed in the area of the attack, pursued the terrorists, blocked roads, and conducted searches in the area, the military said. Roads were later opened to traffic.Initially, it was reported that one was severely wounded, and the other moderately. The severely wounded individual, Deutsch, succumbed to his wounds, while Jaramana’s status shifted to mild.
המצוד אחר המחבלים מפיגוע הירי בבקעת הירדן: כוחות צה"ל פשטו על מספר כפרים פלסטיניים בצפון בקעת הירדן@Doron_Kadosh pic.twitter.com/ofW0ouijdk
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The attack occurred from a passing vehicle
The terrorist, who by press time had not yet been identified, opened fire from a passing vehicle at two vehicles at the Mehola Junction in the Jordan Valley on Route 90.
According to an initial investigation, shots were fired first at Deutsch’s vehicle. When Deutsch was shot, he lost control of the vehicle, which then slid to the side of the road. The second vehicle was struck after Deutsch’s. The two cars were shot from a distance of dozens of meters to a few hundred meters away.Magen David Adom (MDA) provided medical treatment to the wounded individuals, one of whom was 23-year-old Deutsch, who was in critical condition and later succumbed to his wounds, MDA reported.“We arrived at the scene of the attack and saw a vehicle on the side of the road with the driver, a young man in his 20s, unconscious with gunshot wounds. Together with an IDF medical team that arrived at the scene, we conducted medical examinations, but his injuries were fatal, and after resuscitation attempts, we had no choice but to pronounce him dead,” MDA paramedic Denis Polakov said in a statement.Jaramana managed to drive his car to the nearest IDF stand with busted windows and explained to the soldiers there what had happened. After initial medical treatment, he was transferred to the Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa.His wounds were not internal, the hospital said, only light from glass shards. His brother, Muhammad, said he received a phone call from Anas, who said he had been shot and asked him to come. He was later updated about his brother from the hospital.
IDF Chief of Staff visits incident scene
"Our mission is to capture these terrorists and reach them before the attacks occur. We did not succeed here. The clock is ticking to capture the cell that carried out this attack," emphasized IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi during his visit to the scene on Sunday evening, the IDF reported.
During his visit, Halevi conducted an initial assessment and debriefing with senior commanders, local council representatives, Shin Bet, and police officials.
"We will reach them, continue to fight terrorism, and despite the great sorrow for every victim of this terror, we will strengthen our fight against terrorism," IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi further stressed during his visit to the terror attack scene at the Jordan Valley.
Yonatan Deutsch
Deutsch was a counselor in Bnei Akiva and volunteered extensively in Beit She’an. He was released from IDF combat service in the Maglan Unit in late July and was due to be married in the third week of August. He leaves behind his parents, four brothers, one sister, and his fiancee.“He was an incredible young man beyond words. A Zionist, a man of values,” said Beit She’an Mayor Noam Jumaa. “ He was a serial volunteer – in Bnei Akiva, in the volunteer headquarters during Corona, and in many community projects. Despite the age difference, I saw him as a friend, a 24-year-old hero, freshly released from an elite unit, with a huge heart that left quite a mark on the city of Beit She’an and in general. God will save his blood.”President Isaac Herzog wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “My heart hurts and is troubled by the shooting attack in the Jordan Valley, in which an innocent Israeli citizen was murdered by malevolent terrorists.“I extend my support to the family whose world has been shattered, pray for the recovery of the injured, and strengthen the resolve of the security forces in their determined efforts to protect all the citizens of Israel across the country.”The Jordan Valley Regional Council Head, David Elhayani, said, “This is such a difficult time. It’s time that instead of focusing on daycare centers, we get a grip and start focusing on the war. There are murderers who want to kill us just because we are Jewish.”