By Aryeh Savir/TPS • 12 May, 2020

An IDF soldier on Tuesday morning was killed by a terrorist who threw a rock and hit him in the head while his unit was operating to capture terrorists in the Jenin area.

The IDF stated that Amit Ben-Yigal, 21 from Ramat Gan and a member of the elite Golani Reconnaissance unit, was operating to arrest terrorists in the village of Yabed in the Jenin area when he was hit in the head by a rock.

He was wearing a helmet when he was hit by the rock, an initial inquiry shows. He was hit by a large rock dropped on him from a roof in the area he was operating.

Ben-Yigal received treatment from medics at the scene and then was flown to Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The terrorist was not apprehended and the IDF has launched a manhunt to track him down.

Two of the terrorists arrested in the operation are suspected of throwing rocks at Israeli cars in recent weeks and the other two are suspected of committing other terrorist acts.

First Sergeant Ben Yigal was promoted to the rank of Sergeant Major after his death, the IDF stated.

He was an only son, the first IDF soldier to be killed in action in 2020 and the first soldier to die in action in over a year.

He will be buried in Beer Yaacov on Tuesday.

Defense Minister Naftali Bennett stated that Ben-Yigal “fell while defending Israel’s security.”

“The IDF and the security forces will put their hands on the lowly terrorists responsible for this, and we will settle the account with them,” he vowed.