Golani commander and IDF Menashe regional commander
Golani commander and IDF Menashe regional commanderIDF spokesperson

IDF forces are operating Tuesday morning in the Palestinian Authority-controlled town of Ya'abed, west of Jenin, in northern Samaria, hours after an Israeli soldier was killed by terrorists during an arrest operation in the town.

Early Tuesday morning, 21-year-old Golani Bridage Staff Sergeant Amit Ben Yigal, a resident of Ramat Gan, was struck by a block dropped from the roof of a house in Ya'abed at the end of the arrest operation.

Despite wearing an army helmet at the time, Ben Yigal suffered a severe head injury in the attack, and was later pronounced dead after being evacuated to the hospital.

Carmel Shama Hacohen, mayor of Ben Yigal’s hometown of Ramat Gan, eulogized the fallen soldier.

“A terrible sadness has befallen Ramat Gan this morning following the death of one of its best youths, Amit Ben Yigal, a combat soldier in the Golani Brigade, who was killed during operational activity in Judea and Samaria.”

“Amit was the only son of his father, Baruch Ben Yigal, whom I have known personally for many years. Amit was an alumnus of the Korchak school and Blich high school.”

“A malicious hand threw a block from a great height on [Amit’s] head, and his helmet just wasn’t enough, it was unable to protect him.”