Shlomo Odesser

July 30, 2002 - Shlomo Odesser, 60, and his brother Mordechai, 52, both of Tapuach in Samaria, were shot and killed when their truck came under fire in the West Bank village of Jama'in, near Ariel, apparently while selling diesel oil to a cement factory in the village.

The two were reportedly shot dead by masked men hiding behind olive trees in the area. The attackers apparently fled with the bodies, and dumped them in a nearby quarry, where they were found by IDF soldiers.

The Odesser brothers, who routinely sold diesel fuel to residents of Palestinian villages in the area, were ambushed and shot at close range after reaching the cement factory at the entrance to the village of Jama'in, about two kilometers north of Ariel.

They drove into the yard, parked, and sat down for coffee with some of the men in the factory. Two masked men carrying Kalashnikov rifles approached the brothers and shot one at close range. The other ran toward their truck, apparently to get the gun from inside the driver's cab, but was shot dead.

Shlomo Odesser, who was divorced, moved to the settlement of Tapuach a few years ago in order to be close to his brother, Mordechai. Prior to that, he had lived alone in Holon for several years. According to a family friend, he kept to himself and spent most of his time with his brother's family. Recently, Shlomo began selling diesel oil, which forced him to go to Arab villages in the area.

Shlomo Odesser and his brother were buried in the Yarkon cemetery in Tel-Aviv. He is survived his three children, as well as a sister and an elderly mother.