closeicon
Israel

Be'er Sheva stabbing: Victims of terror attack named by Israeli authorities

The victims included a Chabad Rabbi and a mother of three

articlemain

The four victims of a deadly terror attack in southern Israel have been named by authorities. Rabbi Moshe Kravitzky, Laura Yitzhak, Menahem Yehezkel and Doris Yahbas were killed yesterday afternoon in a ramming and stabbing attack carried out by a Bedouin man.

Rabbi Moshe Kravitzky, Chabad emissary and rabbi in the Nachal Beka area of the city, was killed when the terrorist rammed into him while he was cycling. He'd lived in Be'er Sheva for over a decade and is survived by his wife Miriam and four children.

Rabbi Zalman Gurlik, director of Chabad in Be'er Sheva described Kravitzky as "a modest, unassuming person, whose entire life was about giving to others."

In addition to his duties as a rabbi, Kravitzky was the director of Colel Chabad, Israel’s oldest continuously operating charity, and oversaw the day-to-day management of their soup kitchen in the city.

Laura Yitzhak was attacked by the terrorist as she was on her way to meet her husband after work. A mother of three, she was the sister of a Be'er Sheva police officer who later attended the scene of the attack.

Video footage of the attack on Yitzhak showed the terrorist approaching her from behind before stabbing her multiple times, even as she lay on the ground.

A family member told Israeli news outlet Ynet:" She gave her all to raise her daughters. She was entirely full of love and giving. Anyone who met her received only love and compassion.”

Doris Yahbas, a mother of three from a nearby moshav, was killed as she exited a clothing store near the BIG shopping centre in Be'er Sheva. She was aunt to one of the paramedics who responded to the attack.

According to the Times of Israel, Yisrael Ozen, a Magen David Adom paramedic, who was one of the first responders on the scene, realised that his aunt had been fatally wounded while attending to other victims.

Menachem Yehezkel, a 67-year-old resident of the city was the final victim named by authorities. In a statement, his nephew told Ynet: "It’s a heavy blow, a terrible tragedy, he never bothered anyone. He just went out for a walk.“

All four of the victims' funerals are being held today in Be'er Sheva.

Share via

Want more from the JC?

To continue reading, we just need a few details...

Want more from
the JC?

To continue reading, we just
need a few details...

Get the best news and views from across the Jewish world Get subscriber-only offers from our partners Subscribe to get access to our e-paper and archive