At least seven Palestinians were killed in Yatta during the Second Intifada in different incidents from 2002 to 2004. On March 8, 2012 Israeli soldiers shot dead 20-year-old Zakariya Abu Eram and injured two others during a raid in the town with the intent of arresting Abu Eram's uncle, Khaled Mahamra. Khaled Mahamra is a Hamas member responsible for the June 2016 Tel Aviv shooting, who was sentenced to life in prison and released as part of the exchange deal to free captive IDF soldier Gilad Schalit. The Israelis stated they fired at the men only after one of them stabbed a soldier during the arrest attempt.