Israeli solder killed in West Bank raid after rock thrown from roof
An Israeli soldier was killed during a West Bank arrest raid when a rock thrown off a rooftop struck him in the head.
The military typically carries out such pre-dawn raids against wanted militants in the West Bank, occasionally encountering local resistance, but the killing of a soldier is rare. This marked the first military casualty of the year.
The military said 21-yearold Staff Sgt Amit Ben-yigal was on “operational activity” near the West Bank city of Jenin when a large rock was thrown off a rooftop yesterday and struck him on the head. A search was on for the attacker.
Military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said the forces had completed their mission and were leaving the village of Yaabed when the soldier was struck. He called the village a “known hotbed of militant activity”. He said the soldier was wearing a protective helmet and was quickly evacuated for medical treatment, but later died of his wounds.
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent condolences to the soldier’s family and vowed “Israel’s long arm would reach the terrorist” behind the attack.
Israel has seen a series of shootings, stabbings and carramming attacks in recent years, mostly carried out by lone attackers with no apparent links to armed groups. Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups have praised the attacks, but have not claimed responsibility for them.
The most recent such attack came two weeks ago, on Israel’s Memorial Day, when a Palestinian teenager stabbed an Israeli woman outside a shopping centre before he was shot and wounded by a bystander.
Yesterday’s raid was aimed at arresting four Palestinians wanted for stone-throwing at Israeli vehicles and other recent attacks. It comes a day after Israeli forces demolished the home of a Palestinian accused of being behind a deadly blast in the West Bank last year.
Israel says 22-year-old Qassem Barghouti carried out the attack in August last year that killed 17-year-old Israeli Rina Shnerb and wounded her father and brother near the settlement of Dolev. As the demolition took place on Monday, dozens of Palestinians burned tyres and hurled rocks and firebombs toward Israeli troops, wounding several in the ensuing clashes.
The uptick comes as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to arrive today for a quick visit to discuss Israeli plans to annex large parts of the West Bank as early as this summer.
Mr Netanyahu is set to swear in his new government this week and his new coalition agreement allows him to present an annexation proposal as soon as 1 July.