The body of Eliyahu Ashri from Itamar was found last night by soldiers of the IDF. Eliyahu was taken by Palestinian terrorists on Sunday and according to the chief coroner’s findings, he was murdered soon after being taken. His funeral will was held today at 14:30. He was laid to rest in the cemetery Mount Olive in Jerusalem.
Yesterday afternoon, a member of the group that kinapped Eliyahu was arrested by the IDF. Wasam Abu Ragila was interrogated and told the soldiers about the kidnapping and the execution that followed it. He also gave specific information about the body’s whereabouts.
The settlement Itamar is in mourning. Eliyahu is the fourteenth member to be murdered from the settlement in the last two years. “We lost the best of the bunch. The difference is so eminent, the difference between his smile and radiating goodness and the evil and brutality the other side radiates.” Said Rabbi Itzhak Nisim, the head of the school where Eliyahu studied. Later he continued lamenting Eliyahu, saying, “We owe him. We all do. He was and optimistic person, one who loved helping others, a boy of faith and rooted to his country.”
At the same time the body was being discovered, an unprecedented arrest operation was raging through the Gaza strip and the West Bank. About sixty Hamas political officials, some members of the Palestinian government, some members of Parliament, were arrested. Amongst others Naser A-din Sa’ar, the deputy to the Palestinian Prime-Minister was arrested, along with Muhama Barguty, the minister to the affairs of the Jerusalem. The Palestinians were shocked by the arrests, and threatened to retaliate with terror in Israeli cities. Some suggested that Israel took these people in order to trade them back for the kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit. Simultaneously with the arrests, the IDF attacked Hamas infrastructure tonight as well. Palestinian spokesman said about these actions “It is a declaration of war against the Palestinian people”.
I guess until now we were basking in the warmth of peace…
June 30, 2006 at 2:56 am
Blessings of comfort to the Ashri family and all who mourn in Itamar. Many are praying daily for the peace of the land.
June 30, 2006 at 10:11 am
Baruch Dayan Emet
And a much better headline would have been “Israeli Eliyahu Ashri executed” or “Terrorists execute 18 year old” .