JERUSALEM—A grandfather and his two adult children were stabbed to death by a Palestinian terrorist, and a fourth victim was seriously injured on Friday night in the village of Halamish in the Shomron region of Israel, as 10 family members were gathered for a Shabbat dinner and celebration of the birth of a new grandchild.
Yosef Salomon, 70, and his children—Haya Salomon, 46, and Elad Salomon, 36—were killed, and Yosef’s wife Tovah Salomon, 68, was recovering from her wounds at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.
The terrorist, identified as 19-year-old Omar al-Abed from a nearby village, was in police custody after being shot through the window by an off-duty soldier who rushed to the home after hearing screams from the victims and from Elad Salomon’s wife, who had locked herself in a room with her five young children.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin offered his condolences on Saturday night, vowing that the nation would not compromise in its fight against terrorism.
“At this difficult time, our hearts go out to the bereaved family in Halamish, and to all the community there, after the incomprehensible loss they have endured last night,” Rivlin said in a statement. “The difficult pictures, and the thoughts of the children who fled for shelter now dealing with the terrible news—it is truly heartbreaking.
“We embrace the members of the family into our hearts,” he continued, “and are inspired by the courage and composure of a mother who stood alone in the face of such horror, and by the IDF soldier who brought an end to the terrible campaign of murder.”
The funeral will take place at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at the municipal cemetery in Modi’in in central Israel. Local officials say they expect more than 10,000 people from around the country to attend the services.
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