Four Jews Murdered in Arab Terror Attack Near Hevron
Shooting attack at Bani Naim south of Hevron kills four Jews, including a pregnant woman.

by Gil Ronen, Hillel Fendel and Elad Benari, Arutz Sheva
September 1, 2010

Police at scene of shooting attack
(Photo: Reuters)
 

Terrorists murdered four Jewish civilians in a shooting attack at the Bani Naim junction just south of Hevron Tuesday evening. Emergency service paramedics could do nothing to save the victims whose bodeis were riddled with numerous bullets. The terrorists reportedly made sure their victims were dead by shooting them from close range after the initial fusillade.

According to report on Channel 2 television, the victims are two couples, and one of them is a pregnant woman. The IDF is combing the area, searching for the terrorists.

Initial reports said one of the victims had a license for a firearm that was suspended shortly before the attack.

Hamas and Fatah are blaming each other for the terror attack.

The terror attack is typical of Arab 'resistance' attacks that intentionally target civilian victims.

The attack was probably timed to coincide with and affect the direct talks between Israel and the PA in Washington, DC, that are to begin Thursday.

The scene of the attack.
 

Bullets smashed through the windshield.
 

Security forces at Bani Naim junction.
(Photo: Reuters)
 

*** UPDATE ******* UPDATE ******* UPDATE ***
Palestinian terrorists shoot at car south of Hevron, murdering four, including parents of six children. Netanyahu tells security forces to act 'without constraints against the murderers.'

Yitzhak and Talia Ames and their 6 children.
 

The victims are a husband and wife, parents of six, and two passengers. Their names were cleared for publication Tuesday night by local police:

• Yitzhak and Talya Imes

• Kochava Even Chaim

• Avishai Shindler

Yitzhak and Talya Imes were the parents of six children, the eldest one being 24 years old and the youngest one being a year and a half old. Talya Imes was nine months pregnant when she was killed by the terrorists.

Kochava Even Chaim was a teacher in Efrat. She left behind her husband and an 8 year-old daughter.

Avishai Shindler had only recently moved to Beit Hagai with his wife.

The funerals of all four victims will take place beginning at 11:00am on Wednesday.

One of the victims had a license for a gun that was suspended shortly before the attack. Itamar Ben-Gvir and Baruch Marzel said at the scene that serious soul-searching must be done "in order to find out how it is that Jews are deprived of the basic right to defend themselves."

Hamas took "credit" for the terror attack, while PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad condemned the attack and said that it is against Arab interests. Fayyad added that the PA will act to prevent additional acts of terror.

IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi arrived on the scene of the attack along with Head of Central Command Major General Avi Mizrahi and Judea and Samaria Commander Brig.-Gen. Nitzan Alon. The three performed an evaluation of the situation.

Ashkenazi said: "There is no doubt that this is a very difficult event. First, we express our condolences to the victims' families and to Beit Hagai. We are working in several directions since the event occurred and will continue to act until we capture the terrorists. IDF along with other security agencies continue to operate until we capture the murderers who were responsible for this incident. "

The terror attack is typical of Arab "resistance" attacks that intentionally target civilian victims. A survey carried out by a PA organization in early August found that among the Arab public in the Palestinian Authority, over 55% view violence as either essential or desirable, nearly 31% see it as either acceptable or tolerable, and only 13.7% say it is unacceptable.

The attack was probably timed to coincide with and affect the direct talks between Israel and the PA in Washington, D.C., that are to begin Thursday. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said upon landing in Washington that the talks would proceed as planned, despite the murders.