A fire broke out Saturday evening in the Samaria settlement of Havat Gilad, completely destroying the home of Yael Shevach. Shevach is the widow of Rabbi Raziel Shevach, who was murdered in a shooting attack eight years ago.
Saturday evening, the home of Yael Shevach—widow of Rabbi Raziel Shevach, who was murdered in a 2018 shooting attack—was completely destroyed in the fire that has been sweeping through the Samaria settlement of Havat Gilad since the afternoon. The Shevach residence was among dozens of structures consumed by the blaze, which local officials suspect was deliberately set, as the entire community was evacuated to Yitzhar and nearby settlements.
Earlier on Saturday, by 15:27 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that a fire had damaged 13 homes in Havat Gilad (version 14). Within the same hour, the scale quickly escalated: reports indicated 13 homes damaged (version 15), then 10 homes damaged with two firefighters injured (version 16). By 15:27 Jerusalem, IDF Shomron Brigade troops were assisting (versions 17–18), and 45 firefighting crews with eight aircraft were deployed (version 19). Two firefighters were wounded (version 20), and a joint IDF-police investigation team was formed on suspicion of arson (version 21). Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, said at 15:27 Jerusalem that an estimated 30 homes and businesses were destroyed, with suspected arson (version 22). The latest report at 15:27 Jerusalem stated that Arab rioters exploited strong winds to set the fire, destroying dozens of homes and forcing the evacuation of the entire community (version 23).
The fire is one of the most destructive in the area in recent years. Havat Gilad is the community where Rabbi Raziel Shevach was killed in a shooting attack in 2018. His widow, Yael Shevach, has been a prominent figure in the settlement. The Samaria Regional Council has called for state assistance in rehabilitation.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with a special team probing suspected arson. While no injuries were reported at the Shevach home specifically, the broader fire has resulted in some injuries, including two firefighters. The full extent of the damage and the number of families displaced is still being assessed.
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