Palestinian trigger man in attack that killed father of 10 dies in shootout with IDF

Marcy Oster

JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Palestinian man who killed a rabbi and father of ten in a West Bank ambush nearly a month ago was killed during a shoot out with Israeli security forces.

Israel Defense Forces troops and members of the Israel Police surrounded the house near Hebron of Muhammad al-Fakih, 29, who is said to have been the member of the Hamas terror cell who pulled the trigger in the attack on the family as they traveled in their car on Route 60 in the West Bank.

Rabbi Michael “Miki” Mark, head of the Otniel Yeshiva, was killed in the July 1 attack. His wife was shot in the head and seriously wounded, and two of their teenage children were injured.

Three other men have been arrested in connection with the attack. One of the arrested has been identified as a member of the Palestinian Authority security forces, according to Channel 2.

Al-Fakih reported fired on the Israeli troops who surrounded his house. The IDF troops returned fire, including reportedly hitting the building with an anti-tank missile. The building was then mostly knocked down by an IDF bulldozer.  Weapons including a Kalashnikov rifle and a homemade grenade were discovered in the house, Ynet reported.

Al-Fakih reportedly served time in an Israeli jail for ties to the Islamic Jihad terror group, but switched his allegiance to Hamas while in prison.