A night of Independence Day celebration in Petah Tikva has turned into one of Israel’s most disturbing youth-violence cases, after police arrested seven minors in connection with the killing of 21-year-old Yemanu Binyamin Zelka, a Pizza Hut worker and recently released IDF soldier who was stabbed after asking a group of teens to stop spraying party foam inside the restaurant. Police said the suspects, ages 13 to 17, were arrested after coordinated raids on several addresses. The main suspect, reportedly 15, was found hiding in an apartment in central Israel and tried to flee when officers broke in. His parents were also detained on suspicion of helping him hide and obstructing the investigation.

According to police and Hebrew media reports, Zelka was working the late shift at the Pizza Hut branch in Petah Tikva’s Kfar Ganim neighborhood when a group of youths entered and began spraying foam at customers. He asked them to stop and leave. Investigators suspect the group later waited outside until he finished his shift, then attacked him. Kan reported that one minor allegedly stabbed him while others beat him or stood by as he bled. Zelka was taken to Beilinson Hospital in critical condition, where doctors later pronounced him dead.

The case has drawn national shock not only because of the brutality, but because of the age and behavior of the suspects. Police sources told Hebrew media the teens acted “like veteran criminals” after the attack, turning off their phones and staying away from their homes to avoid arrest. Some of the suspects were already known to police, and Kan reported that several are linked to the same family, including relatives of known criminals. A partial gag order remains in place because minors are involved.

Zelka was remembered by friends, coworkers, and neighbors as gentle, hardworking, and deeply loved. He had worked at the pizzeria since he was 16 to help support his family and left behind his parents and five siblings. Former coworkers described him as patient, funny, and protective, someone who treated younger workers like family and cared deeply about the business. Outside the restaurant, residents lit candles, placed flowers, and left messages in his memory.