Rock strikes, kills Israeli soldier on raid

JERUSALEM — An Israeli soldier was killed early Tuesday during a West Bank arrest raid when a rock thrown off a rooftop struck him in the head, the military said.

The military often carries out predawn raids in search of wanted militants in the West Bank, occasionally encountering resistance, but the killing of a soldier is rare and this marked the first military casualty of the year.

The military said 21-year-old Staff Sgt. Amit Ben-Yigal was on routine “operational activity” near the West Bank city of Jenin when a large rock was thrown off a rooftop and struck him on the head. A search was on for the attacker.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, said the troops had completed their mission and were leaving the village of Yaabed when the soldier was struck. He said the soldier was wearing a helmet and was quickly evacuated for medical treatment but later died.

Dozens of soldiers attended the funeral. Many mourners wore masks to protect against the spread of the coronavirus, as Ben-Yigal was laid to rest with military honors in his hometown of Beer Yaakov, in central Israel.

“Until this morning at 6:30 I was a happy man, satisfied with himself and his way. At 6:30 this morning I turned into a miserable person,” said the soldier’s father, Baruch Ben-Yigal.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent condolences to the family and vowed that “Israel’s long arm would reach the terrorist” behind the attack.

(AP/Ariel Schalit) The mother of Israeli Staff Sgt. Amit Ben-Yigal grieves Tuesday during the soldier’s funeral in Beer Yaakov.