A seven-year-old Israeli child was killed, and his four-year-old cousin was moderately injured in a suspected stabbing at a home in Beit Shemesh on Monday.
The seven-year-old was later named as Hillel Mordechai Dadon.
Paramedics found the children suffering from stab wounds in the family’s pool after emergency services received a report of the incident.
Israeli media reports indicated the children were allegedly attacked by a mentally unstable individual who reportedly entered the home and assaulted them after the mother of one of the children left the home.
According to Magen David Adom (MDA), two children were rushed to Hadassah-University Medical Center in Jerusalem’s Ein Kerem for further treatment.
The four-year-old reportedly arrived at the hospital in moderate condition, fully conscious, and is currently undergoing surgery. The seven-year-old, however, was pronounced dead upon arrival at Hadassah’s trauma center.
Israeli Police later released a statement that they had opened an official investigation into the attack, and added that a suspect had been arrested following the assault.
Paramedics describe horrifying scene
MDA paramedic, Yosef Haim Bernfeld, described the scene as horrifying, saying, “We were led to two children who had suffered serious injuries to their bodies, including seven-year-old boy who was unconscious, with no pulse and not breathing, and a four-year-old boy who was conscious.”
At the time of the incident, a 15-year-old relative was reportedly responsible for supervising the children.
The 15-year-old is now receiving assistance at the scene from a social worker.
Child killed in Beit Shemesh traffic accident
In a separate incident in Beit Shemesh on Monday, a 4-year-old boy was pronounced dead after being struck by a vehicle.
MDA paramedics who arrived at the scene stated they found the boy unconscious and suffering from multiple serious injuries. They immediately initiated resuscitation efforts, but were ultimately unable to revive him and pronounced him dead at the scene.
