JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Rabbi Amos Guetta, a prominent rabbi in the central Israeli city of Netanya, was fatally stabbed Wednesday at the yeshiva he founded, and police later arrested a disciple believed to have carried out the attack.

Guetta, who was in his 70s, was attacked at the Rabbi Yitzhak Hai Taieb Yeshiva on Shimon Bar Yochai Street. Emergency responders found him unconscious with multiple stab wounds and provided lifesaving treatment before transporting him to Laniado Hospital in critical condition. Doctors later pronounced him dead.

Police said officers and forensic investigators were dispatched to the scene after receiving reports of a stabbing. Authorities launched a manhunt before locating and arresting the suspect, whom investigators described as a mentally unstable disciple of the rabbi who had reportedly been involved in a dispute with him. The investigation remains ongoing.

First responders from Magen David Adom and Hatzalah Sharon said they arrived within minutes of the attack.

“We found a man in his 70s unconscious and suffering from penetrating wounds after a violent incident,” first responders Yonatan Yankelovitz and Shmuel Salmon said in a joint statement. “Together with Magen David Adom teams, we provided emergency medical treatment and evacuated him by intensive care ambulance to the hospital in critical condition.”

For years, he studied with Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Yitzhaki, known as the Rabbi of Porat, before founding the Rabbi Yitzhak Hai Taieb Yeshiva in Netanya. The institution became a center for Torah study, offering programs in Jewish law, weekly Torah study and advanced learning for both young and married students.

Guetta was widely known for his strict religious observance and distinctive synagogue customs. He wore tefillin throughout much of the day and introduced practices intended to deepen reverence during Torah readings. His students described him as a disciplined spiritual leader who emphasized high standards in Torah study, prayer and kashrut.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Guetta continued encouraging Torah study and communal prayer in accordance with his religious outlook, spending a period in Tiberias with a group of students to maintain their study schedule.

The Shas party expressed shock over the killing, describing Guetta as “a great spiritual shepherd and an extraordinary leader who brought countless people closer to Torah.”

Avi Salama called the killing “a difficult morning for the city of Netanya,” saying Guetta “was a towering Torah scholar, a pillar of Torah and loving-kindness who illuminated the path for thousands of residents and served as a source of guidance, blessings and inspiration for generations.”

The motive for the stabbing remains under investigation.