# 2023 Givat Shaul shooting

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On 30 November 2023, two Palestinian gunmen killed three and wounded 16 Israeli civilians at a bus stop on the Givat Shaul Interchange in Jerusalem during the ceasefire of the Israel–Hamas war. A fourth individual, Yuval Castleman (an armed bystander who shot at the gunmen), was shot and killed by responding IDF soldiers who mistook him for one of the attackers. Hamas claimed responsibility for the shooting.

## Background

The Givat Shaul neighborhood, located in the western part of the city, is one of the primary entrances to Jerusalem, and has been a target of attacks in the past. The 2023 shooting occurred within the context of the violent 2023 Israel-Hamas war, just hours after Hamas and Israel, the 2 primary belligerents in the war, agreed to the extension of a ceasefire.
According to Israeli Police, both attackers had been imprisoned in the past due to their affiliation with Hamas. Murad Nemer was imprisoned for 10 years because of his intention to carry out terrorist operations; his brother, Ibrahim Nemer was imprisoned in 2014 for the same reason. The men were both in their 30s and from the Sur Baher neighborhood of East Jerusalem.

## Attack

According to the Israeli Police and amateur camera footage, the two gunmen, 38-year-old Murad Nemer and 30-year-old Ibrahim Nemer, arrived at the bus stop in a car at around 7:30 a.m. local time. They exited the car carrying an M16 and a handgun. The attackers' vehicle contained a "large amount of ammunition," according to police. They then opened fire at the people waiting at the bus stop, killing 3 and injuring 16. Israeli police received reports of gunfire at about 7:40 a.m. local time. A bystander identified as 37-year-old Yuval Doron Castleman, who noticed the attack while driving, opened fire on the attackers during the shooting.
The attack ended when two IDF soldiers, including a soldier heading back to base after being on a break from service in Gaza, and Castleman, an armed civilian, returned fire, killing both gunmen. However, Castleman was shot by an Israeli soldier after being mistaken for an attacker. Despite throwing away his gun, kneeling, and raising his hands, he was shot again. As IDF soldiers assumed he was an attacker, Haaretz stated Castleman received no medical assistance after being shot. Castleman later died at the hospital.

## Victims

Initial reports named the three dead by the attackers as 73-year-old rabbi Elimelech Wasserman, 67-year-old Chana Ifergan, and 24-year-old Livia Dickman. A fourth individual Yuval Doron Castleman was shot and killed by the responding IDF soldiers. Livia Dickman was pregnant and died at the scene of the attack. The fetus could not be saved. Wasserman and Ifergan were pronounced dead at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center. Six other people were transported to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, of whom three were in serious condition.

## Aftermath and reactions

After an initial investigation, the Israeli Police confirmed the identities of the attackers as Murad and Ibrahim Nemer, as well as confirming the deaths and injuries. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that "The operation came as a natural response to unprecedented crimes conducted by the Occupation".
The police conducted raids on the attacker's family's homes, arresting 6 members of their family. The highway on which the attack took place, Highway 1 at the Motsa Junction, was closed immediately afterwards. The US Ambassador to Israel, Jack Lew, and the EU Ambassador to Israel Dimiter Tzantchev, both condemned the attack on social media.
The family of Yuval Doron Castleman, the bystander who was mistakenly shot by IDF soldiers, labeled his death as an "execution" and called for a thorough investigation. The IDF, initially stating that it had no plans to investigate the incident, later decided to involve its Military Police's investigatory unit following an initial probe by the Shin Bet and Israel Police. Police acknowledged the mistaken identification and expressed sorrow for Castleman's death.