The levayas for Rabbi Eitam and Na’ama Henkin HY”D, the Neria residents murdered in a shooting attack in Shomron on Thursday night,  will take place in Har Menuchos on erev Shabbos Chol Hamoed Sukkos at 11:00. The couple is survived by their four children, ages 9, 7, 4, and 4-months, all of whom were in the vehicle when their parents were shot to death.

Eitam’s parents are Americans who made aliyah some time ago. They are Rabbi Yehuda Henkin, a well-known dati leumi community posek and author of the Shut Bnai Banim. His wife is the well-known Rebitzen Chana Henkin, the founder of the Nishmat Institute for Advanced Studies for Women. Rabbi Eitam Henkin HY”D was a graduate of the Kiryat Arba Hesder Yeshiva, where he studied for ten years. In 2004 he entered the IDF, Sayeret Golani. After leaving the IDF he would also lecture in his mother’s yeshiva. Na’ama is from Yishuv Peduel. Family members in that community are now caring for the four orphans. She was a graphic artist by profession. She was a daughter of a member of the elite Sayeret Matkal unit who was involved in the attempted rescue of Nachshon Wachsman HY”D.

The two were traveling between Itamar and Elon Moreh in Shomron on Thursday night when their vehicle was attacked in a shooting attack. B’chasdei Hashem, none of the children sustained physical injuries.

According to the findings of the preliminary investigation, the couple left Elon Moreh. It is believed at least two terrorists were involved in the attack. Investigators opine the terrorists stopped the vehicle, opened the door and opened fire at point blank range. It remains unclear if they had a waiting vehicle or fled the scene on foot. Magen David Adom reports the call came in to the Yarkon District dispatcher at 21:04. EMT and paramedic units were dispatched. The parents were pronounced dead on the scene following advanced resuscitation measures.

MDA paramedic Boaz Malka explained “The scene was a most difficult one. The vehicle was stopped in the middle of the road and at its side was the body of a male with gunshot wounds to his upper body. The woman was inside, also presenting with gunshot wounds to her upper body. Neither showed signs of life. To our sorrow, we were compelled to pronounce them dead on the scene”.

A terror group aligned with the military wing of Fatah claimed responsibility for the attack. Fatah is the party which heads the PA (Palestinian Authority), and its leader is PA Chairman Abu Mazen.

President Reuven Rivlin stated “Tonight, bloodthirsty murderers claimed the lives of a mother and a father, leaving their young children orphaned. The heart breaks at the magnitude of such cruelty and hatred.

“We will continue in our brave and unwavering fight against this cruel and heinous terrorism – of this our enemies can be sure. This is our duty, and the only way we can ensure the right of the orphans who lost their parents tonight, along with the right of all our children and grandchildren, to live with security and in peace, everywhere in the Land of Israel.

“We pray for the speedy recovery of the injured children – our hearts and thoughts are with them.”

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who is in NYC for the United Nations General Assembly stated, “This is a difficult day for the State of Israel. We are witness to an especially heinous and shocking murder in which parents were murdered, leaving four young orphans.

“My heart is with the children, all of our hearts are with the children and the family. The killers knew that they were murdering a mother and father, the children were there. It has been proven again that the wild Palestinian incitement leads to acts of terrorism and murder such as we have seen this evening. I am about to speak with the Defense Minister, the IDF Chief of Staff and the Director of the ISA about the steps we will take not only to apprehend the murderers but also to increase security for all Israeli citizens.”

The orphans are Matan Hillel [in fourth grade], Nitzan Yitzchak [in second grade], Nata Eliezer [kindergarten] and Itamar who is 6-months-old.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)