Report: Ofra, Givat Assaf Terrorists Were Brothers

Security officials quoting Palestinian Authority officials said Thursday that the perpetrators of the two major terror attacks that took place last week – the shooting attack near Ofra a week ago Sunday, and the attack at Givat Assaf last Thursday – are brothers, Kan News reported.

The Ofra attack was carried out by Salah Barghouti, a resident of the village of Kubar, in the Binyamin region close to Ofra. The shooting attack at Givat Assaf, meanwhile, was carried out by Assam Barghouti.

Officials had previously thought that they had a family connection, but not that they were siblings. The extended Barghouti family is large, and estimated to have thousands of members. According to the PA sources, Assam Barghouti decided to carry out the attack just hours after Salah Barghouti was killed by IDF forces. Assam Barghouti is still at large.

Security officials quoted Friday in Ha’aretz said that it appeared that Salah Barghouti had been a leader of the gang that apparently included his brother, and that he had planned a series of terror attacks, among them the Givat Assaf attack.

The officials said that the gang appeared well-organized, and there was concern that it would strike again soon. If they are brothers, then both Barghoutis are the son of Omar al-Barghouti, a leader of Hamas terror cells in Yehuda and Shomron who has been in Israeli prisons for a total of 28 years for crimes including attempted kidnapping of soldiers.

Seven people were injured in the attack that occurred a week ago Sunday at the entrance of Ofra, in the Binyamin region. Security forces were attempting to track the path that the terrorists took to flee the scene after firing ten bullets at the group that included the injured.

As a result of that attack, Amiad Yisrael Ish-Ran, Hy”d, the infant that was delivered to parents Amichai and Shira Ish-Ran, passed away. Killed in the Givat Assaf attack were IDF soldiers Yuval Mor-Yosef, Hy”d, and Yosef Cohen, Hy”d. A third soldier injured in the attack, Netanel Felber, was still recuperating. The public was asked to daven for Netanel Ilan ben Sheina Tzippora.