Two brothers of Elchanan Chananiya, who was moderately wounded in a stabbing attack Sunday morning near the village of Og'ja in the Jordan Valley, arrived at Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek Medical Center and provided a painful account of the incident. Elchanan, 24, from Beitar Illit, had received special leave from his military base to celebrate his wedding anniversary with a family vacation in Tiberias. He was traveling with his pregnant wife, their two young daughters, and his father-in-law when the family stopped roadside to purchase cigarettes.
Jordan Valley Terror Attack
Brothers Describe Terror Stabbing Attack
Elchanan Chananiya was stabbed multiple times near Og'ja in the Jordan Valley while his pregnant wife and young daughters watched. His brothers arrived at Shaare Zedek Hospital to share details of the attack that occurred during what was meant to be an anniversary celebration.
"They stopped to buy cigarettes, and when he returned to the car, the terrorist was lying in wait for him," Yosef and Shlomo, Elchanan's brothers, recounted outside the treatment room. "When he saw my brother turn his back, he jumped on him and stabbed him several times in the body. He fought back. He was panicking about the children. His wife was screaming too. His father-in-law, who was in the car, got out and the terrorist fled." The brothers added a particularly disturbing detail: "The older daughter saw everything that happened."
Beyond describing the struggle and terror experienced by the family members who witnessed the assault from inside the vehicle, the brothers detailed Elchanan's complex medical condition resulting from the serious stab wounds he sustained to his upper body. "He now has a broken shoulder and internal bleeding. They're trying to stabilize it," Yosef and Shlomo explained, describing the medical efforts underway at the hospital. They added about his current state and the difficulty communicating with him: "He's in a lot of pain and it's hard for him to speak. He can't say what he needs."
Elchanan received initial treatment at the scene from Magen David Adom paramedics and IDF medical personnel before being evacuated to Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem. According to the medical center, he arrived in moderate but stable condition, fully conscious, and is currently being treated in the trauma unit.
The attacker fled the scene, and IDF forces launched an extensive manhunt, imposing closures on the village of Og'ja and the surrounding area. Forces from the Duvdevan special unit and the air force were deployed to conduct searches in the region. The IDF stated it is maintaining ongoing contact with residents and security officials in the area.
The attack joins a series of terror incidents that have occurred in recent weeks throughout Judea and Samaria. Just days ago, a terrorist who attempted to stab an IDF soldier during operational activity in the Jenin area was eliminated.
The terror attack
