Israeli soldier killed by rock thrown during West Bank arrests: Army
A soldier was killed early on Tuesday morning by a rock dropped on his head during an operation to arrest suspects in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli military statement said.
At around 4am, a unit from the Golani Brigade arrived at the Palestinian town of Ya’bad, 20km west of Jenin, to arrest four Palestinians – two suspected of involvement in a ‘terrorist’ organisation, and two suspected of throwing stones, according to the army.
The army named the soldier as 21-year-old Staff Sergeant Amit Ben Ygal, a resident of Ramat Gan.
About half an hour later, a large rock was thrown from the roof of a house in the town, hitting the soldier on the head, the army said.
The military said Ben Ygal was wearing a helmet and that he was evacuated via helicopter to a hospital, where he was declared dead.
The army said troops were now searching for the person who threw the rock and that it was investigating the incident.
Israeli media said that troops subsequently carried out arrests at the house from which the rock was thrown.
In January, US President Donald Trump published a controversial plan that gave US blessing to Israel’s annexation of large swathes of the West Bank, even though the United Nations warns it would be a violation of international law.
