The Palestinian Authority killer of an elite Israeli Golani soldier last month has been captured in a joint operation by the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), IDF and Israel Police.
First Sergeant Amit Ben Yigal, 21, from Ramat Gan, was killed when a cinder block was thrown at his head during an arrest operation in the Arab village of Yabed, near Jenin. Ben Yigal was wearing his helmet during the attack, but the weight of the huge block nevertheless crushed his skull.
ראש הממשלה בנימין נתניהו:
״אני רוצה לשבח את צה״ל, השב״כ וזרועות הביטחון על שתפסו את הרוצח השפל של עמית בן יגאל ז״ל. אני נתתי הנחייה להרוס את ביתו של המרצח הזה. מי שמנסה לפגוע בנו – ידנו משגת אותו, במוקדם או במאוחר. בשנים האחרונות אתם רואים שזה במוקדם.״ pic.twitter.com/mFbziE6JYM— ראש ממשלת ישראל (@IsraeliPM_heb)
“I would like to commend the IDF and the Shin Bet and the security forces for capturing the murderer of Amit Ben Yigal, z”l. I have issued instructions to destroy the home of this murderer,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday evening in a statement.
“Anyone who tried to hurt us – our arm will reach him, sooner or later. In recent years, you’ve been seeing it sooner.”
Nazmi Abu Bakr, 49, a resident of the Arab village of Ya’bad lives in the building from which he threw the cinder block that robbed Amit Ben Yigal of his life.
Under Shin Bet questioning Abu Bakr revealed that he threw the block from the roof of his house on the night of the incident in which Ben Yigal was killed on May 12, 2020.
IDF Soldier, 21, Killed in Action by Arab Terrorist
The suspect’s DNA sample on the cinder block was being examined to identify and locate the murder weapon, Israeli security forces revealed in earlier reporting.
The results of the investigation were transferred to the military prosecutor for indictment.
“The security forces will continue to work resolutely to bring to justice all those involved in terrorist activities against Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers,” the Shin Bet said in a statement.
Ben Yigal, an only son, was posthumously promoted to Sergeant Major. His family was informed of the capture of his murderer from the IDF and representatives of the Shin Bet.