Who killed Elan Ganeles? Columbia graduate shot to death in West Bank

A 27-year-old Israeli-American citizen named Elan Ganeles was fatally shot in the West Bank on Monday evening. According to authorities, tensions are rising in the occupied West Bank region after a series of violent activities over the weekend.

The shooting that killed Elan Ganeles has been described as a “terror attack” by Israel’s Magen David Atom emergency services. The MDA confirmed that the attack took place on Route 90, north of the Beit Ha’Arava Junction.

Ganeles has been described as "a nice guy" and "a gentleman." According to reports, Elan Ganeles was on his way to meet a friend when he was brutally murdered in the West Bank. It was revealed that despite knowing about the security concerns in Israel, Elan wasn’t very concerned about the same.

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27-year-old Elan Ganeles was allegedly killed by a suspected Palestinian terrorist

An Israeli-American citizen was shot dead in the West Bank while on his way to meet a friend. The tragic incident that killed Elan Ganeles took place on a highway between Jericho and the Dead Sea. According to the MDA, the area is usually peaceful and is one of the primary routes to visit the Dead Sea.

According to the Israeli consulate, he was allegedly killed by a suspected Palestinian terrorist while he was on the highway as two men began shooting at his car. The Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford confirmed that the bullets struck him while he was driving.

Ganeles lived in Connecticut, US, and was in Israel to attend a friend’s wedding. Elan’s synagogue in Connecticut mentioned that the 27-year-old will be buried in Israel on Wednesday. According to CNN, Steve Charter, the manager of a Hebrew language program that Elan Ganeles attended, described the victim as "a really nice guy, a gentleman… the type of guy you want your daughter to date."

Elan’s friend, Michael Landau, said:

“He wanted to celebrate his friend’s wedding, see his friends and go back to America. He was on his way to see a friend when he got murdered.”

Landau further added that his friend Elan Ganeles was well aware of the security concerns in the West Bank, however, didn’t seem very bothered about it.

Landau stated:

“He lived here in the past so he understands the situation. He never expressed any concern about the fact that something was going on.”

The US State Department addressed the brutal killing of Elan Ganeles and said:

“… extremely concerned by the events of this weekend and the continuing violence in Israel and the West Bank.”

It was further discovered that Elan graduated from Columbia University. He studied both sustainable development and neuroscience. On Tuesday, a vigil was held at the university to pay respects to the deceased.

Mayor Eric Adams took to Twitter and said:

“Elan Ganeles was a New Yorker. His loss is a tragedy. His generation deserves a world free of terror, a world where we stand up in the face of hate and reject the forces who divide us. We stand without brothers and sisters in Israel today. We stand for peace.”

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A series of violent crimes have been reported due to rising tension between Palestinians and Israelis

Elan Ganeles reportedly served in the Israeli Defense Force for two years from 2016 to 2018. The Jewish Federation of North America issued a statement addressing Elan’s tragic death.

The statement read:

“Elan’s love for the Jewish people and Israel led him to volunteer in his local community and to serve in the IDF. A recent college graduate, Elan had a bright future ahead of him. Our hearts go out to his family and to the West Hartford community and we cry together with them.”

The tragic incident that killed the 27-year-old took place a day after two Israeli brothers, Yagel and Hillel Yaniv, were fatally shot while in their car. Shortly after that, Sameh Aqtash, a Palestinian man, was killed while several Israelis protested the alleged murder of the Yaniv brothers.

As per CNN, the State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, said:

“We appreciate Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu and President [Isaac] Herzog’s statements calling for a cessation of vigilante violence. We expect the Israeli government to ensure full accountability and legal prosecution of those responsible for these attacks, in addition to compensation for the lost homes and property.”

Price continued:

“These events underscore the fragility of the situation in the West Bank and the urgent need for increased cooperation to prevent further violence.”

Several instances of violent acts have been reported since the beginning of the year. As per a report by the New York Post, around 62 Palestinians and 14 Israelis have already been killed this year due to rising tension between the two communities. Many of these Palestinians were militants, and many were civilians as well.

An official from the Israel Defense Forces has condemned the attacks that have been taking place in the region and has described them as acts of “revenge” and “terror” by Israeli settlers. Officials further confirmed that additional battalions were to be sent to the area to de-escalate the tension.