Benayahu Melet, 32, a member of Havat Gilad’s alert squad team, was shot after responding to an attack nearby; Herzog mourns his death as violence surges across the northern West BankBenayahu Melet, a 32-year-old father of two and member of the Havat Gilad alert squad, was identified Friday as the Israeli killed in a shooting attack near the settlement outpost in the northern West Bank.Havat Gilad officials said Melet, who oversaw agricultural activity at the outpost, rushed to assist a group of Israeli hikers who had been attacked nearby and was shot dead by a Palestinian terrorist.Footage from the scene of the deadly attack near Havat GiladHe is survived by his wife, Esther, and their daughters, Tair Eretz and Adama Ivriya, ages 12 and 13.“How the mighty have fallen,” the community said in a message to residents. “With great pain and sorrow, we announce the murder of Benayahu Melet in a terror attack by vile terrorists while rescuing a group of hikers in the area.”“Our hearts are with Esther, Tair Eretz and Adama Ivriya, and the entire Melet family,” the statement added. “We will assist them in every way possible.”President Isaac Herzog said his “heart breaks” over Melet’s killing.“My heart breaks at the news of the murder of Benayahu Melet, a member of the Chavat Gilad rapid-response security team, in a deadly terror attack in Samaria,” Herzog said, using the biblical name for the northern West Bank.“I send heartfelt condolences to his beloved family, his friends, and the Chavat Gilad community, and I pray for the complete recovery of the wounded,” he said.Herzog praised the security forces for “acting with determination in defense of the citizens of Israel.”GalleryBenayahu Melet“In the face of murderous terror seeking to harm our lives and our security, we must stand united and resolute,” he added. “Terror will not prevail.”Hashomer Yosh, an organization supporting Israeli agricultural activity in the West Bank, described Melet as a farmer and shepherd who was among the earliest and longest-serving activists operating on hilltops and in open areas over the past two decades.“Benayahu lived and breathed the land of the homeland through devoted agricultural work, shepherding and a direct connection to the open spaces,” the organization said.“He saw agriculture, hiking and knowledge of the land as a way of life and a mission of the highest order, aimed at safeguarding the lands of our people and deepening our roots along every trail and hill,” it added. “His quiet leadership and the determination he displayed in the field will serve as an example to us.”The IDF had reported gunfire Friday morning near Havat Gilad. Israeli hikers later said Palestinians confronted them near a mosque on the outskirts of the village of Tell, prompting members of the outpost’s alert squad to rush to the scene.One of the Palestinians snatched a weapon from a member of the group and fired at the Israelis, wounding three of them, according to the military. Two were initially evacuated in critical and serious condition.The military said the terrorist was killed shortly afterward and troops recovered the stolen weapon.Aviel Mamalia, a senior paramedic with the Magen David Adom ambulance service, said emergency crews arrived with ambulances and bulletproof intensive care vehicles.IDF troops at the scene of the deadly shooting attack (Photo: IDF)Mamalia said medics treated a man about 25 years old who had suffered a gunshot wound to his upper body but remained fully conscious. He was taken to meet a military helicopter that airlifted him to a hospital in stable condition.Mamalia later joined a military medical team treating another man who was unconscious and suffering from gunshot wounds.“After prolonged resuscitation efforts, we were forced to pronounce him dead,” he said.The Palestinian Health Ministry said four Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire and four others were wounded at the scene, three of them critically. It was not immediately clear whether the reported death toll included the terrorist whom the IDF said was killed after snatching the weapon.IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir held a situational assessment after the attack with the head of Central Command and the chief of the Operations Directorate. He ordered a broad deployment of reinforcements to bolster security and apprehend everyone involved, the military said.“IDF troops continue to operate to thwart terrorism in the Samaria area, including in the villages of Beit Furik and Tubas, where a large-scale operation began last night,” the military said.Friday’s attack was the third in the area within 24 hours, and the military’s West Bank division had been on its highest level of alert since Thursday.Itamar Cohen, one of the founders of Israeli agricultural outposts in the West Bank, was stabbed near the settlement of Elon Moreh on Thursday afternoon. The military said a fire had broken out before the stabbing and Cohen had been among those trying to extinguish it. An Israeli civilian shot and killed the two terrorists at the scene.