The dual-United States citizen was shot to death by Palestinian gunmen near the Beit Ha’Arava Junction near the Palestinian West Bank city of Jericho last night.
Elan Ganeles, 27, was killed after sustaining a gunshot to his upper body when his vehicle was sprayed with bullets. Originally from Connecticut where he was very active in the Jewish community, he volunteered to serve as a ‘lone soldier in the Israel Defense Forces,‘ rising to the rank of sergeant. After volunteering on an Israeli kibbutz, he returned to the United States in 2018 to complete his graduate degree. He was in Israel to attend a wedding.
First responders who arrived at the scene found the victim unconscious and a rescue helicopter was scrambled to transport him to Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem where he was pronounced dead shortly after, said the United Hatzalah paramedic service.
Two other vehicles were also shot several times, but passengers were unharmed. The suspects reportedly encountered a police force who opened fire at them, and one is believed to have been hit.
The assailants, who have so far evaded capture, set fire to the vehicle used in the attacks and then used another to flee in the direction of Jericho.
A massive manhunt for the suspects is underway. IDF soldiers are conducting searches and setting up roadblocks and checkpoints in the area.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement expressing heartfelt condolences on behalf of all the citizens of Israel to the Ganeles family, who will travel from the US to bury their son in Israel.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad predictably congratulated the assailants for their “courage,” while pledging to continue “resistance operations.”
The latest deadly Palestinian attack follows the murders of Israeli brothers Hillel and Yagel Yaniv, who were shot at point blank range while stuck in traffic at the West Bank town of the flashpoint Palestinian town of Huwara, north of Ramallah and south of Nablus. They were laid to rest in Jerusalem yesterday.
14 people in Israel have been murdered in Palestinian terror attacks since the start of the year.
In related developments, this morning United Hatzalah volunteers treated an infant who sustained “light injuries” during a rock throwing attack on the car she was traveling in on Highway 485 near Ein Sima.
HD Editor’s Note: Why Is This News Biblically Relevant?
Earlier this month, following an attack that killed several Israelis, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Palestinian terrorists “seek to slaughter us indiscriminately; therefore, we must all unite as one in the relentless fight against them.”
Amir Tsarfati, founder and President of Behold Israel, recently encouraged believers and called for prayer regarding the string of terrorist attacks in Israel.
“Despite these attacks, we know that God still has His eyes on His special land and on His holy city,” Tsarfati explained. “Please pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray for the safety of His chosen people. And pray for our Lord’s swift return for His church, which will set the countdown clock ticking toward the time when God will make all things new once again.”
Psalm 122:6-7 KJV – “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.”
Olivier Melnick, in a recent article, argued that any definition of antisemitism would be incomplete without factoring in a critical component: Antisemitism is demonic.
“My standard definition for antisemitism is as follows: Antisemitism is the irrational, satanic hatred of the Jewish people and Israel, characterized by thoughts, words and/or deeds against them. I have yet to see a definition of antisemitism that includes the words satanic or demonic. That aspect of the problem is seldom, if ever, mentioned,” he explained, “but it is a key, if not THE key component.”
“The reason is simple, and it is found in the Bible,” Melnick maintained. “God has Israel and the Jewish people at the core of His plan for mankind. When at the end of the seven-year Tribulation (also known as the Time of Jacob’s Trouble), Israel will realize that Yeshua is indeed the Jewish Messiah and Savior of the world, and the Jewish people will call upon Him corporately (Zechariah 12:10). It was Yeshua who declared to Israel that His return was dependent upon their crying out to Him ‘Baruch Haba Bashem Adonai’, in Matthew 23:37-39.”
“Satan knows that time is coming,” Melnick continued. “He continues to do everything he can to denigrate, demonize and decimate the Jews so that he can keep his position of ‘Prince of the power of the air’ (Ephesians 2:1-2). This is the ONLY reason antisemitism exists, and this is why I am convinced from a biblical perspective that it will not cease but only increase until Yeshua Sar Shalom (Jesus the Prince of Peace) returns.”
