Prayer planned as slight improvement seen for soldier hurt in Givat Assaf attack

People are planning on gathering at the Western Wall on Sunday evening for a special prayer vigil for Netanel Felber, an Israeli soldier who was critically injured in a shooting attack near the Givat Assaf outpost earlier this month.

Doctors have been fighting to save Felber, who was shot in the head several times. Two other soldiers were killed in the attack.

The Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem said earlier Sunday that Felber, who had emergency neurosurgery after the attack, is still in a life-threatening condition, but that he has improved slightly and begun breathing on his own.

On Thursday, Felber’s family had called on Jews throughout Israel and around the world, no matter what their religious outlook, to pray for the recovery of their son over Shabbat.

Felber made aliyah with his parents and siblings from Silver Spring, Maryland in 2006.

The US State Department, in response to a query from JTA, said in a statement: “The U.S. Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad have no greater responsibility than the protection of U.S. citizens overseas. We are aware of reports of a terrorist attack involving a U.S. citizen in the West Bank on December 13. We provide all appropriate consular services to U.S. citizens in need overseas. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment.”

— with JTA