Shaked Avraham

Sept 26, 2003 - Shaked Avraham, seven months, of Negohot, south of Hebron, was killed during the holiday meal on the eve of Rosh Hashana when a Palestinian terrorist who infiltrated the settlement opened fire with an M-16 assault rifle.

The terrorist infiltrated the settlement in the southern Hebron hills at around 9:00 P.M., through an area not enclosed by a fence. Armed with an M-16 assault rifle, he knocked on the door of the Yeberbaum caravan home on the edge of the settlement, where the couple was having the Rosh Hashana meal with guests. Eyal Yeberbaum, armed with a pistol, went to the door and was shot by the terrorist. Though mortally wounded, he managed to close the door. The terrorist continued to spray the caravan from outside with automatic fire, killing seven-month-old baby girl Shaked Avraham and lightly wounding two others, before he was killed by IDF reservists. The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack, carried out by a terrorist released from Israeli prison just two months ago.

Shaked, the only child of Shai and Shira Avraham, had just started to crawl. She was fatally shot while seated in her swing. Her father Shai, an ambulance volunteer driver, tried in vain to save her. Shai and Shira, who had met while traveling in India, were married three years ago and settled in Negohot. Shira is a kindergarten teacher and Shai works in high-tech.

Shai recalled how Shaked had been dressed up for a recent family occasion carrying an Israeli flag, and how none of the family knew that this was to be her farewell. Zvi Barchan, head of the Hebron Hills Regional Council, expressed the hope that a children's center currently being built at Negohot will be inaugurated one year from now in Shaked's name.

Shaked Avraham was buried in Kfar Haroeh, a moshav northeast of Netanya where her mother grew up. She is survived by her parents, Shai and Shira.