One of the victims of the terror attack in Elad in May suffered a severe deterioration in his condition on Tuesday night.

Shimon Ma’atuf, a resident of Moshav Baraket, was working in his position as a security guard at the children’s section of the park on the day of the attack.

When the attack began, Ma’atuf, 75, heard screams and ran toward the scene, bumping into one of the terrorists. Before he could react, the terrorist smashed his head with an ax, critically injuring him.

He was evacuated in serious condition to the hospital, where the doctors managed to stabilize his condition. After recovering from his wounds, he was transferred to a rehabilitation hospital for traumatic brain injuries, where he has been ever since.

On Tuesday night, his condition deteriorated and he was transferred to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv.

Ma’atuf’s daughter, Aviva Hillel, told Yisrael HaYom: “Abba was guarding the park when a terrorist came and wounded him with an ax on his head and face. He was initially hospitalized in Beilinson Hospital and was later transferred to the Reuth Rehabilitation Center in Tel Aviv. He hasn’t really communicated since the injury but he was aware we were next to him and would respond to us with his eyes. Yesterday his condition deteriorated and they performed CPR on him. His condition is serious and the doctors say his life is in danger.”

“I request that the public daven for the refuah sheleimah of Shimon ben Gamla b’toch shaar cholei Yisrael.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)