Beit Shemesh Stabbing: 4-Year-Old Released from Hospital

Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center announced Thursday morning that a four-year-old boy injured in last week's stabbing attack in Beit Shemesh has been released to his home following several days of intensive medical treatment.

The child sustained serious injuries during the attack, which occurred last week on Emek HaZeitim Street in Beit Shemesh's older neighborhood. His seven-year-old cousin, Hillel Mordechai Dadon, was killed in the same incident. Medical staff performed complex surgery on the younger boy the evening he arrived at the hospital.

Professor Dan Arbel, director of the Department of Pediatric Surgery at Hadassah Ein Kerem, and Professor Nir Hirshhorn, head of the Complex Head and Neck Surgery Unit at Hadassah, reported that the child underwent surgery upon arrival at the hospital. "There has been significant improvement in his condition after several days of treatment by teams in the pediatric intensive care unit and the pediatric surgery department," the physicians stated.

The attack occurred in the afternoon hours when the children's father returned home to find the two cousins, aged four and seven, wounded near an inflatable pool in the yard. The mother had gone shopping for one of the children's birthday celebrations, and a 15-year-old relative who had been watching the children witnessed the attack.

Emergency medical teams from Magen David Adom and United Hatzalah who responded to the scene encountered a devastating situation. Seven-year-old Hillel Mordechai Dadon died from his wounds at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center. His four-year-old cousin was evacuated in serious condition for surgery and, after days of intensive care, was released home Thursday morning.

Police arrested a 25-year-old neighbor on suspicion of carrying out the attack, and his detention has been extended. The investigation continues under Jerusalem District investigators, and the suspect will undergo psychiatric evaluation as part of the legal proceedings.

The body of Hillel Mordechai Dadon was released for burial following intensive efforts by ZAKA's legal department, which worked with Rabbi Asher Landau to minimize any violation of the dignity of the deceased. His funeral took place in Beit Shemesh with a large gathering of family and friends in attendance.