The defense establishment is investigating suspicions that the young man's murder in Gush Etzion was committed after a botched kidnapping attempt. The body of the student/soldier with stab wounds was found at the side of the road between Efrat and Migdal Oz in the Etzion Regional Division. The soldier, a resident of Ofra, joined the Hesder Yeshiva study program. According to students where he attended, the student traveled to Jerusalem to buy prayer books for his teachers where he studied. By night he was on his way back to his yeshiva at Migdal Oz. At one point, contact with him was lost. At 7:30 pm, police received a report of a missing person, and massive forces launched searches to locate the soldier. His body was found in the Etzion Regional Division area at 03:00. Prime Minister and Defense Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said: "This morning, we were told of a severe stabbing attack. Security forces are now in pursuit to capture the despicable terrorist and settle accounts with him. I send condolences in my name and the government's to the family."
