| Murder of Dvir Sorek | |
|---|---|
| Part of theIsraeli–Palestinian conflict | |
| Native name | רצח דביר שורק |
| Location | Migdal Oz,West Bank |
| Date | 7 August 2019; 6 years ago (2019-08-07) 20:30 pm (UTC+2) |
Attack type | Attempted hostage-taking, stabbing |
| Weapons | Knife,taser |
| Deaths | 1 civilian (Dvir Sorek) |
| 2 | |
| Motive | Anti-Semitism |
On 7 August 2019,[1] 18-year-oldyeshiva studentDvir Sorek[2] was stabbed to death near theIsraeli settlement ofMigdal Oz.[3]
Sorek was an 18-year-old Yeshiva student, was traveling alone from his yeshiva (named Machanayim) to Jerusalem to buy books for his rabbis as a gift for the end of the school year. He was apparently attacked on his way back, by (it was believed) two assailants, near a bus stop. Despite initially believing that his death was a kidnapping, Israeli security forces came to the conclusion that Soreks' death was a premeditated murder.[4]
Two Palestinian men, 24-year-old Nazir Saleh Khalil Atafra and 30-year-old Qasem Araf Khalil Atafra, were arrested for the murder. Their houses were demolished.[5]
His funeral was held inOfra, where Sorek’s family resided, the next day and thousands of people attended. Sorek’s father performed the eulogy.[2]
Two Palestinians accused of the murder were captured by Israeli soldiers in the village ofBeit Kahil outside Hebron. The suspects were identified as 24-year-old Nazir Saleh Khalil Atafra, aHamas terrorist, and 30-year-old Qasem Araf Khalil Atafra.[7] Qassem was also convicted of a 2011 attempted murder of two Israeli civilians inBeersheba. In December 2021, the two cousins were sentenced to life imprisonment. Qassem was given a 40-year sentence, with Nasir handed an additional 20 years.[8]
