Israeli soldiers are seen at the scene of a shooting near the West Bank settlement of Shavei Shomron, on October 11, 2022. Source: the Israeli Defense Forces.
On October 11, an Israeli soldier was killed in a shooting attack near the settlement of Shavei Shomron in the occupied Palestinian West Bank.
According to an initial probe by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), a gunman opened fire at the soldier from a passing vehicle and fled the scene at a high speed. The soldier was a part of a unit the was securing a march by Israeli settlers near the Palestinian town of Sebastia.
The IDF said that the soldier was seriously wounded and was taken by ambulance for medical treatment at the Meir Medical Center. He was later pronounced dead by medical staff at the hospital in Kfar Saba.
The slain soldier was identified as 21-year-old Staff Sgt. Ido Baruch. He reportedly served in a reconnaissance unit of the IDF’s 84th “Givati” Brigade.
Staff Sgt. Ido Baruch, 21. Source: The Times of Israel via Twitter.
An armed Palestinian faction calling itself the Lion’s Den claimed responsibility for the shooting attack. The group was established in recent months in Nablus’s old city by members of various Palestinian parties.
After the attack, Israeli security forces launched a search operation in the West Bank. Defense Minister Benny Gantz vowed that the gunman will be captured.
“The chase continues during these hours. We will put our hands on the terrorist and those who aided him.”
Baruch was the second soldier of the IDF to be killed in a shooting attack in less than a week. Late on October 8, a female Israeli soldier, 18-year-old Noa Lazar, was killed when a Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a checkpoint near the Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem.
Jerusalem and the West Bank have seen a surge in shooting attacks in recent months. Israel’s recent crackdown on Palestinians in the two areas appears to be the main cause behind these attacks.
