Staff Sgt. Eliya Hilel and Staff Sgt. Diego Shvisha Harsaj, both 20 and from Tel Aviv, were struck near the entrance to the Jewish community of Itamar.
By Pesach Benson, TPS
Two Israeli soldiers critically injured in a Wednesday night Palestinian car-ramming attack died of their injuries, the Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday morning.
Staff Sgt. Eliya Hilel, 20, and Staff Sgt. Diego Shvisha Harsaj, 20, were hit by a Palestinian near the entrance to the Jewish community of Itamar, near Shechem (Nablus). Both were infantrymen in the Kfir Brigade’s Nahshon Battalion, and both were from Tel Aviv.
The terrorist turned himself in to Palestinian Authority security services but has not yet been handed over to Israel.
The attack came hours after terrorists in the area of Tulkarem fired shots at Bat Hefer, an Israeli community of 5,000 located next to Netanya. Hamas posted a video of three terrorists firing at the village.
Bat Hefer residents and local officials called on Israeli authorities to take stronger measures to protect the village. Wednesday’s shooting was the third in two weeks. In December, numerous residents reported hearing digging sounds and the Israel Defense Forces began investigating for the presence of tunnels,
Since October 7, Israeli security forces have arrested around wanted 4,000 Palestinian terror suspects in Judea and Samaria, of whom 1,700 are associated with Hamas.
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