Boy, 7, Killed in Beit Shemesh Stabbing Attack

A seven-year-old boy died Monday afternoon after being stabbed at his home in Beit Shemesh, a city west of Jerusalem. His four-year-old cousin was wounded in the same attack and is currently undergoing surgery at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center, where his condition is listed as moderate. Israeli police have arrested a 25-year-old neighbor on suspicion of carrying out the attack.

The incident occurred in the afternoon hours on Emek HaZeitim Street in Beit Shemesh's older neighborhood. The children's father discovered them injured near an inflatable pool in the yard when he returned home. The mother had apparently left to shop for one of the children's birthday celebrations. A 15-year-old relative who had been watching the children witnessed the attack.

Head of the paediatric unit at Hadassa Hospital (Hadassa Hospital spokesperson)

Emergency medical teams from Magen David Adom (Israel's national ambulance service) and United Hatzalah who responded to the scene encountered a devastating situation. MDA medic Yosef Chaim Bernfeld described what they found: "We arrived at a shocking scene with great commotion outside. We were led to two children suffering from serious injuries to their bodies, including a seven-year-old boy who was unconscious, without a pulse and not breathing, and a four-year-old boy who was conscious. We provided them with life-saving medical treatment and performed resuscitation on the seven-year-old, then evacuated them to the hospital in critical and serious condition."

United Hatzalah medics Yaakov Yungreis, Moshe Siroka, and Eliya Asolin, who were first to arrive, reported: "We were told at the scene that they were injured as a result of violence. With the help of additional medics, we provided initial medical treatment at the scene to two victims whose condition is defined as critical and serious. They were then evacuated to the hospital for continued medical care. Teams from United Hatzalah's resilience unit are providing psychological support due to the nature of the incident."

Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center reported that both children were brought to the trauma unit. The four-year-old arrived in moderate condition, fully conscious, and is currently in surgery. The seven-year-old arrived without signs of life, and hospital staff were forced to pronounce him dead. "We share in the family's profound grief, and hospital staff are accompanying them during this difficult time," Hadassah stated.

According to reports, a neighbor of the family, a 25-year-old man, came to the house during the incident, stabbed both children, and fled the scene. The suspect reportedly has a history of mental health issues. Police arrested him on suspicion of carrying out the attack and are investigating whether a dispute between the families led to the tragedy. The suspect's father was questioned at the scene.

Jerusalem District Commander Superintendent Avsalom Peled arrived at the scene and conducted a situation assessment with regional command and district officials. Police forces sealed off the area, and forensic investigators are collecting findings and evidence. The investigation, which is in its early stages, has been assigned to the Central Unit of the Jerusalem District.

Beit Shemesh Mayor Shmuel Greenberg addressed the difficult events in the city: "Beit Shemesh has experienced two difficult and painful incidents in recent hours, in each of which a child's life was cut short. In the difficult incident on Emek HaZeitim Street, a child was killed, and in the traffic accident in Ramat Beit Shemesh D, another child was killed."

Greenberg added: "The welfare teams and psychological services of the Beit Shemesh municipality are working in the field and providing professional support and assistance to the families and anyone who needs it. These are very difficult moments for the entire city. Our hearts are with the families who lost their most precious loved ones, and we pray for the wellbeing and recovery of the wounded."

The tragic incident adds to what has been a devastating day in Beit Shemesh, which also saw the death of a child, Asher Anshil Fish, in a horrific traffic accident in the Ramat Beit Shemesh D neighborhood.