Indian-origin Israeli Soldier Killed Amid Escalating Tensions in West Bank

New Delhi: A 24-year-old Indian-origin Israeli soldier from the Bnei Menashe community was killed in a vehicle-ramming attack near the Beit El settlement in the West Bank, community members said on Thursday. Staff Sergeant Geri Gideon Hanghal, a resident of Nof HaGalil and a soldier in the Kfir Brigade’s Nahshon Battalion, was confirmed dead by the Israeli Army. According to community members, they were "in shock at the news of the loss of a young life" on Wednesday near Asaf Junction. His funeral is scheduled for Thursday.

Hanghal immigrated to Israel from the northeastern part of India in 2020. Around 300 Bnei Menashe youngsters are currently serving in the army, with many in combat units.

The Bnei Menashe, from India's northeastern states of Manipur and Mizoram , are believed to be descendants of the Israelite tribe of Menasseh, one of the “lost tribes” of ancient times. In 2005, Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar declared them descendants of Menasseh, facilitating their immigration to Israel as members of a "lost tribe."

Approximately 5,000 Bnei Menashe members have immigrated to Israel, with nearly 1,500 arriving in the past five years. Another 5,500 remain in India awaiting immigration.

Nof HaGalil Mayor Ronen Plot was quoted by Ynetnews as saying, "The city of Nof HaGalil mourns and grieves the loss of Staff Sgt. Hanghal. Gideon was a member of the Bnei Menashe community, which is very dear to my heart—good, humble and patriotic people."

Footage from the scene of the attack showed a truck with a Palestinian license plate swerving off a busy highway and crashing into an Israel Defence Forces (IDF) guard post next to a bus stop before coming to a stop. The suspect has been identified by Israeli security sources as 58-year-old Hayil Dhaifallah from the central West Bank town of Rafat.

This attack follows a series of attempted suicide bombings and shootings from the West Bank claimed by Hamas. Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7 last year led to the ongoing Gaza war. Israel has intensified its counter-terrorism operations in the West Bank, alleging that Iran-backed groups are smuggling weapons from Jordan and planning attacks in Israeli territory.

The Palestinian health ministry reported that five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Tubas overnight, and two others were injured by Israeli fire during raids on Tubas and the neighboring town of Tammun. The IDF confirmed these airstrikes, stating they targeted members of a terror cell.

Since October 7, the IDF has conducted over 70 airstrikes in the West Bank. Reports suggest that Israeli defense officials are increasingly concerned about the potential for the violence to escalate into a larger conflict. Hardline Israeli settlers have also attacked Palestinians in recent weeks, further inflaming tensions.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) health ministry claims that over 670 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank since October 7. The IDF asserts that most of those killed were gunmen in firefights, rioters, or terrorists. Israel has also arrested around 5,000 Palestinians in the West Bank over the past eleven months, including more than 2,000 allegedly linked to Hamas.

(With PTI Inputs)