IDF Sgt. Geri Gideon Hanghal was killed in a ramming attack that occurred near Givat Assaf in the West Bank on Wednesday.
Hanghal, 24, from Nof Hagalil, was a soldier from the 90th Battalion, Kfir Brigade.
Hayil Dhaifallah, 58, drove his gas tanker with Palestinian license plates and sped up at the junction. He crashed into the bus stop and critically injured Hanghal. Soldiers were present and an armed civilian neutralized Dhaifallah, who was from the Palestinian town of Rafat near Ramallah. The military set up roadblocks in the area of the attack.
The IDF stated that there had been an initial suspicion of the truck being rigged with explosives, which was ruled out.
The military and Border Police have mapped out the residence of the attacker in the area of Rafat to examine the potential demolition of the building.
The attack comes on the heels of a number of attacks in the West Bank, where tensions continue to rise with near-daily attacks and raids by the military. Seven people were killed just in the last week – three at the Allenby Bridge, and three near Hebron.
'He died a hero'
Hanghal made Aliyah in 2020, with the help of Shavei Israel, an organization that works in conjunction with the Aliyah and Integration Ministry and the Jewish Agency for Bnei Menashe.
Nof Hagalil Mayor Ronen Plot noted that Hanghal was part of the Bnei Menashe community in the city, “a community that is very near and dear to my heart, filled with good, modest people who love the State. Like his friends, Gideon saw in his service a worthy pursuit, loved the army, was proud of his uniform, contributed to Israel’s security, and had a promising military future.”
The chairman of Shavei Israel, Michael Freund, said he was “devastated by the murder of Gideon” who had always “dreamed of serving in the IDF, even though he was 20 when he moved to Israel, he insisted on joining a combat unit to defend the country.”
“He died a hero and we mourn his loss,” Freund added.
Freund also called on the Israeli government to resume the Aliyah of Bnei Menashe Jews from India, saying that the process has been paused since October 2021.
Shavei Israel has brought more than 5,000 Bnei Menashe to Israel, however, they claim that 5,000 remain.--