National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir addressed the horrific incident that occurred Tuesday night on Route 3533 at the entrance to the moshav of Komemiyut, in which a Satmar yeshiva Bochur Naftali Tzvi Kramer z”l, was killed after being struck by a bus.

In a video statement, the minister sought to both strengthen the grieving family and send a clear and forceful message regarding the safety and security of the Chareidi public.

“I send my condolences to the dear Kramer family and fully back the Israel Police for arresting the driver who carried out this terrible act,” Ben Gvir said, adding emphatically: “The blood of our Chareidi brothers will not be hefker.”

Earlier, in a written statement, the minister said: “My heart is with the dear Kramer family in their difficult hour, and I send my deepest condolences over the heavy tragedy in which their son, Tzvi Kramer z”l, lost his life. There are no words that can comfort such pain. The entire people of Israel embrace you.”

He added: “I fully support the Israel Police who acted decisively to locate and arrest the driver who ran him over. Anyone who chooses to drive recklessly in a way that leads to the loss of human life must be punished with the full severity of the law. I trust the police to do their job thoroughly.”

The minister concluded with a direct message to the Chareidi community: “And from here, a clear message to my Chareidi brothers and sisters: your blood is not hefker. We will not allow such cases to pass in silence, and we will ensure that these severe incidents are handled with a firm hand, with determination and without compromise.”

Meanwhile, serious questions continue to surround the circumstances of the fatal incident, backed by disturbing footage and eyewitness testimonies from the scene.

The central piece of evidence fueling the controversy is a video filmed from inside the bus involved in the incident. In the footage, teenage girls who were on board can be heard identifying the driver accelerating toward a group of bochurim standing on the road.

“What is he doing? He’s crazy, oh my G-d… these are bochurim, stop! What did he do, idiot!” one of the passengers is heard screaming in the terrifying moments before the fatal impact.

The fact that passengers noticed the driver’s unusual and dangerous behavior even before the collision has strengthened suspicions that the driver acted, at the very least, with blatant disregard for human life toward the protesters.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)