Thousands gather to mourn as brothers murdered in Samaria shooting laid to rest

‘There are no words to describe such a disaster,’ says Esti Yaniv, mother of Hillel and Yagel Yaniv, at her sons’ funeral.

By World Israel News Staff

The victims of Sunday afternoon’s deadly terrorist shooting attack in Samaria were laid to rest at a military cemetery in Jerusalem Monday, at a ceremony which drew thousands of mourners, including ten ministers and Knesset members.

Thousands of Israeli residents of Samaria turned out at intersections and junctions along Route 60 Monday ahead of the funeral, out of respect for the Yaniv family as they drove from their home in Har Bracha to the Mount Herzl military cemetery.

“There are no words to describe such a disaster,” Esti Yaniv, the mother of the two murdered brothers said ahead of the funeral. “Instead of taking children to the [marriage] chuppah, we bury them.”

Mourners, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (Likud) and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionist Party), paid their last respects to 21-year-old Hillel Yaniv and his brother, 19-year-old Yagal Yaniv, at their funeral on Mount Herzl Monday afternoon.

Also in attendance were National Missions Minister Orit Strock (Religious Zionist Party), Aliyah and Absorption Minister Ofir Sofer (Religious Zionist Party), Construction and Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf (United Torah Judaism), and Health Minister Yoav Ben-Tzur (Shas).

Three Coalition MKs – Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionist Party), Amit Halevy (Likud) and Tally Gotliv (Likud) – and one Opposition MK Matan Kahana (National Unity) – were also present.

The two brothers were shot and killed after the terrorist rammed his car in their vehicle as they drove through the village of Huwara – which straddles Route 60. The terrorist then exited his vehicle, walked up to the brothers’ car, and fired at them at point-blank range.

“I really beg and plead that this will be the last such incident, and that all the children will be able to get married and have children and live happily and peacefully,” said Shalom Yaniv, the bereaved father.

The elder brother, Hillel, had recently completed his military service in the Israeli navy, and had returned to the Kiryat Shemona Hesder Yeshiva to continue his studies, while his younger brother, Yagel, was a student at the Givat Olga Hesder Yeshiva, and was preparing to be drafted into the IDF.

Uri Pinsky, chairman of the union of hesder yeshivas, eulogized the two slained brothers.

“The entire Jewish people has come together to pay their final respects to these two holy angels, Yagel and Hillel Yaniv.”

“They were hesder yeshiva students, men of great faith and values, and were always the first to volunteer for a task. They were outstanding in their Torah study, in their sweetness, and in their honesty, and in their love of Israel. We are all mourning together with their family, and we send them a big hug to strengthen them during these difficult moments.”

Arab terrorHuwaraMount Herzl