Overview
- A hiking group that entered the area Friday came under attack near the Havat/Chavat Gilad outpost when a Palestinian assailant seized a firearm and opened fire, according to initial reports.
- Maj. Yuval Ezra and Master Sgt. (res.) Benayahu Melet were killed while rushing to aid the hikers, and Ezra was laid to rest on Sunday in Beit Dagan.
- The IDF said soldiers killed the gunman, recovered the stolen weapon, and reported that three other Palestinians were killed and four wounded in the subsequent exchange.
- Magen David Adom evacuated six wounded Israelis from the scene, reporting one in serious condition, one moderate and four with light injuries.
- The incident has prompted an IDF probe into why the hikers entered the area without coordination and how civilian rapid-response teams and military units were deployed, highlighting security risks around the contested Havat Gilad outpost.