IDF Soldier Killed by Rock Thrown at Head During Raid

JERUSALEM, Israel – A soldier in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was killed Tuesday morning after being struck in the head by a rock during an arrest raid, the military said.

The soldier was identified as Staff Sergeant Amit Ben-Yigal, 21, from Ramat Gan. Ben-Yigal was a member of the Golani Reconnaissance Battalion, which was carrying out arrests of suspected terrorists in the Palestinian town of Ya’bad in the West Bank.

After the troops completed the arrests and made their way out of the town, a group of young Palestinians threw rocks at them.

IDF Spokesperson Hidai Zilberman said one of the rocks hit Yigal, who was wearing a helmet.

“The soldier was wearing a helmet. But it hit him at an angle,” Zilberman said.

The soldiers were unable to identify who threw the rock and did not open fire at the youths in return.

Ben-Yigal was treated at Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

Yigal is the first IDF soldier to be killed in action this year and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent his condolences to the family.

“As has occurred in all the cases in recent years, the long arm of Israel will reach the terrorist and settle accounts with him,” he said in a tweet.

בשמי ובשם אזרחי ישראל אני מבקש לשלוח תנחומים כנים למשפחתו של עמית בן יגאל שנרצח הלילה בפעילות מבצעית ע"י בן עוולה. יהי זכרו ברוך.
כפי שקרה בכל המקרים בשנים האחרונות - ידה הארוכה של ישראל תגיע למחבל ותבוא עמו חשבון. pic.twitter.com/C0TyfUOS0i

— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) May 12, 2020

Defense Minister Naftali Bennett also said Israel will find whoever is responsible.

"Staff Sergeant Amit Ben Yigal fell tonight while defending Israel's security. The IDF and the security forces will find the lowly terrorists responsible for this, and we will settle accounts with them,” he said.