Father of October 7th massacre victim among those killed in drive-by shooting attack

Israelis murdered in terrorist shooting attack outside Hebron Sunday identified as three police officers – including one who lost his daughter during one of the massacres of October 7th.

By World Israel News Staff

The three Israelis murdered in a Palestinian terrorist shooting attack outside of Hebron Sunday morning were identified Sunday afternoon as 37-year-old Chief Inspector Arik Ben Eliyahu, 53-year-old Sgt. Major Hadash Branch, and 61-year-old First Sgt. Roni Shakuri.

The three were fatally wounded when Palestinian Arab terrorists in a passing car opened fire on a police vehicle on Route 35 near near the Tarqumiya checkpoint in the Mount Hebron region at 7:09 a.m.

Immediately after the shooting attack, the terrorists abandoned their vehicle and fled the scene on foot.

IDF forces were deployed to the area to search for the perpetrators.

“This was a very severe attack,” said MDA EMT Tzuriel Edri and MDA paramedic David Dahan, who were the first to arrive at the scene.

“We saw a vehicle with bullet marks on a mound beside the road. Three passengers were extracted from the vehicle: two men and a woman. A man and a woman in their 30s were unconscious with gunshot wounds, with no pulse and not breathing.”

Sgt. Major Branch, a resident of Sde Moshe, is survived by her husband, her three children, and a granddaughter.

Chief Inspector Ben Eliyahu is survived by his wife and their three children.

First Sgt. Shakuri, a resident of Sderot, is survived by his wife, Ayala their daughter, Sapir, and their granddaughter.

Shakuri’s other daughter, Mor Shakuri, 29, was murdered during the October 7th invasion of southwestern Israel, when Hamas terrorists seized control of the Sderot police station.

During the siege, Shakuri, a patrol officer who held the rank of First Sergeant, was ordered to the roof of the station to open fire at terrorists swarming outside the building’s entrance.

After running out of ammunition during the gunbattle, Mor Shakuri was fatally wounded.

Mor Shakuri been engaged to be married, and was survived by her fiance, David.