Three out of four Israelis who were murdered in a stabbing attack in Beersheba on Tuesday were laid to rest on Wednesday afternoon.
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The victims are Laura Yitzhak, 43, a mother of three; Doris Yahbas, 49, from Moshav Gilat, also a mother of three; Rabbi Moshe Kravitzky, a father of four, and Menahem Yehezkel, 67, a brother to four.
Yahbas's husband eulogized her, saying "We will never forget you, you always helped everyone and then came a Jew hater and took you away from us. You were with us in heart and soul. We will take care of the children as you did. Love you and the children love you."
Yahbas' nephew, Yisrael Ozan, was a member of one of the first teams of paramedics scrambled to the scene of the attack. "I went to treat a wounded woman who was unconscious, and while I was worked I saw that she was my aunt, my mom's sister. She was showing no signs of life and we were forced to declare her dead. I was shocked but I had to keep functioning," he said on Tuesday.
Yehezkel left behind a sister and three brothers. Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton, who attended his funeral, said, "Menahem Yehezkel went for a walk and was stabbed by a vile killed who killed four people mercilessly and indiscriminately. Four people who went out on their daily errands and were murdered, just because they were Jews.
"Menachem's friends and acquaintances have described him as a pleasant, cordial and loving person. The heart aches. I would like to offer my condolences to the families of the victims … There are no words to describe the magnitude of this tragedy."
Shasha-Biton also thanked the civilians who neutralized the terrorist.
Yitzhak's funeral began at 5 p.m. in Beersheba. Her funeral was attended by Diaspora Affairs Minister Nachman Shai.
"There is no limit to the pain you feel … Your pain is our pain, and we are here by your side and with you. Laura, who are laying to eternal rest, was murdered in her city. She enjoyed spending time with her husband and was proud of her family. Her daughters and family meant everything for her. Laura loved life and celebrated it until it was taken from her," he said.
Crying at their mother's funeral, Yitzhak's daughters screamed, "Mom, come back to us."
Kravitzky will be laid to rest at 7 p.m., also in Beersheba. He has been described by loved ones as fully committed to his community.
The attack occurred at 4 p.m. A Bedouin man from Hura – later named as 34-year-old Mohammad Ghaleb Abu al-Qi'an, a terror convict from the Bedouin town of Hura in the Negev – stabbed Yitzhak to death at a gas station. He then got into his car and drove to a nearby shopping center, where he ran down Kravitzky, who was riding a bicycle. Then he headed toward the shops and stabbed Yahbas and Yehezkel to death. He also stabbed two more women who are in critical condition.
The Israel Police has raised the level of alert nationwide out of concern of a possible escalation of violence as the Ramadan holiday approaches. This year, it coincides with the one-year anniversary of the violent riots that erupted in mixed cities during Operation Guardian of the Walls in the Gaza Strip in May 2021.
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