[VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE] At about 5:30AM, the security officer of Yishuv Eli was notified that terrorists attacked a resident of Givat HaYovel, a secluded neighborhood in Yishuv Eli, in the eastern yishuv, atop a mountain about 850 meters high. Two terrorists, 18, from the nearby PA (Palestinian Authority) village of Kariyut, were eliminated by security forces. They were armed with a knife, pocketknife, wooden clubs and a makeshift gun. B’chasdei Hashem there was no loss of life among intended victims. One resident, a company commander in the IDF reserves, Roi Harel, sustained light stab wounds and was transported to Shaare Zedek Medical Center.

The terrorists arrived in the neighborhood during the predawn hours, an easy walk from their village across the lone access road to the area. This particular hilltop in the community, Eli, which today is home to over 900 families, a yeshiva and kollel, is not gated. The IDF is working on establishing a high-tech alert barrier in the area.

The terrorists according to several reports smashed a number of car windows, apparently to get residents to come out of their homes so they could attack them. One of these residents was IDF reservist Roi Harel, who lives in that community. He was dressed in uniform as he was heading out to reserve duty. As he left his home the terrorists attacked him. B’chasdei Hashem he managed to slam the door to his home, saving his wife and five children from harm. He fought with all his might and they fled. It is still unclear if Roi had his pistol with him. Since he was reporting for reserve duty, he had not yet signed out his automatic weapon.

His wife called the security officer and an alert was sounded with the IDF and residents were alerted by the automated phone system, sending messages to remain indoors do to a “security incident” to their phones.

By now another resident of the hilltop, Yesha Council Director Shilo Adler, a battalion commander in the reserves was out and hunting for the terrorists along with arriving IDF soldiers who arrived. Shots were heard and they ran towards the mikve and saw soldier eliminated one of the terrorists as the second ran towards a vehicle. He too was shot and killed. The only person injured is Harel.

Residents then explained the gadlus of the miracle, for the children on this hilltop meet at 5:50am in the shul for chavrusa in mishnayos and clearly they would have been easy targets had the terrorists detected them. The area, Givat HaYovel, is known as Givat HaAlmanot (Widows’ Hill) for residents include Mrs. Roi Klein HY”D and Mrs. Eliraz Peretz HY”D.

Roi Klein was killed during the Second Lebanon War in 2006 when he ran towards a grenade in Bint Jbeil while screaming “Shema Yisrael”, thereby saving the lives of his troops. Major Eliraz Peretz was killed in an encounter with terrorists in Gaza in 2010.

Many others residents in the community serve in the standing army and were not home this morning, highlighting the magnitude of the miracle that the few men present heard the noise, responded, and had the Siyata Dishmaya to neutralize the threat.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)