The killing of an Israeli man near the settlement of Neve Tzuf and the shooting of a Palestinian motorist by Israeli soldiers near Ganim marked another violent day in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on the eve of Yom Kippur. The incidents came as Israeli military authorities involved in the territory have warned the government that the situation is basically out of control.
The Israeli victim was identified as Netanel Shakrun, a father of six. He had gone to a spring near Neve Tzuf, roughly a dozen miles north of Jerusalem, for ritual bathing before Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism.
A suspected Palestinian gunman fired from a vehicle at Israelis who had gathered at the spring, killing Shakrun. The gunman was later found at a hospital in Ramallah, where Israeli military forces and police arrested him. His identity has not been made public.
Yom Kippur began on the evening of 20 September 2026. The day is marked by prayer and religious observance, including ritual bathing at natural springs for some worshippers.
Israeli soldiers also killed a Palestinian motorist near the settlement of Ganim on the same day. The Israeli military said the driver had attempted to ram a vehicle into troops. No soldiers were hurt, according to the military.
The identity of the motorist has not been released. The exact circumstances of the incident remain unclear, including whether the driver was armed or whether there was hostile intent beyond the military's allegation of an attempted ramming.
The two deaths occurred during a sharp rise in violence in the West Bank, where Israeli settlements and Palestinian communities are subject to varying degrees of Israeli military control. Violence has escalated since the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023.
Israeli forces have carried out sweeping military raids in the West Bank, displacing tens of thousands of people. In recent weeks, Israeli civilians have also carried out assaults against Palestinian homes in the north of the West Bank.
Israeli military authorities responsible for the West Bank have told the Israeli government that violence is escalating at a very rapid pace and that the situation has become basically uncontrollable. The killings near Neve Tzuf and Ganim add to the immediate strain ahead of Yom Kippur, while leaving key details of both incidents unresolved.
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