Ofir Rahum

Ofir Rahum, a high school student who was reported missing from his home, reportedly went to Jerusalem on Wednesday morning (January 17) to meet a woman with whom he had become romantically involved via an Internet chat site. She then drove him toward Ramallah. At a prearranged location she bolted from the car, another vehicle drove up and three Palestinian gunmen inside shot Ofir more than 15 times. One terrorist drove off with Ofir's body and dumped it, while the others fled in the second vehicle.

Mona Awana, 25, the woman believed to have lured Ofir to his death, was apprehended by the IDF and Israel Security Agency at her parents' home in the West Bank village of Bir Naballah. Rahum reportedly was not aware that Awana was Palestinian and believed she was an American living in Jerusalem.

Ofir's parents became concerned when he failed to return home on Wednesday evening and, after questioning his friends, discovered he had not been to school that day. The body, which the Palestinian authorities originally claimed was that of a Palestinian who had been shot by Israeli security officials, was handed over on Thursday to the Israeli authorities.

Rahum is the fourth Israeli to be murdered in the Ramallah area since the outbreak of the current violence over four months ago.

Hundreds attended Ofir's funeral at the Ashkelon cemetery. His school principal, Shosh Erez, described him as an outstanding student and a wonderful person, with a very supportive family. Ofir Rahum is survived by his parents Shalom and Shula, two sisters, Louisa born in 1980 and  Shir, born in 1989 and a brother, Sahar, born in 1995.