The European Union on Sunday condemned ‘’in the strongest terms’’ the murder of an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier in the West Bank by a Palestinian.
20-year-old Tomer Hazan of Bat Yam was abducted Friday and murdered in Samaria (north of West Bank) by a Palestinian man, Nidal Omar, Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, the IDF spokesman, said.
The motive for the murder was the terrorist's plan to trade the body of his victim for the freedom of his brother, a Fatah terrorist who has been in jail in Israel for the last ten years.
‘’The EU condemns in the strongest terms the murder of an off duty Israeli soldier in the West Bank by a Palestinian man. This comes in the wake of several worrying incidents in the West Bank,’’ said in a statement the spokesperson of the EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
‘’The EU regrets the loss of life, urges for maximum restraint and reiterates its call to all parties to refrain from actions that could undermine the negotiation process and the prospects of peace,” the statement added.
On Sunday, a second Israeli soldier was killed in a shooting attack near the West Bank ccity of Hebron.
The victim was named as Staff Sergeant Gal (Gabriel) Kobi, 20, of Tirat Hacarmel. He was evacuated to the Hadassah Hospital Ein Karem for treatment, and died of his wounds.
Initial details revealed that the soldier had been standing at a checkpoint near the Tomb of the Patriarchs. Clashes erupted in the area and a bullet fired from a distance, apparently by a sniper, struck Kobi in his upper body.
Large numbers of security forces descended on the area and launched searches for the terrorists. The shooting occurred at the Tut Atarek Junction.
Sgt. Koby participated in routine IDF activities defending the Jewish neighborhood of Hebron – including about 11,000 civilians currently visiting the area during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
IDF Spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner stated: “This lethal attack illustrates the complex security challenges the IDF faces on a daily basis in Judea and Samaria. The IDF will employ the necessary means – operational and intelligence – to apprehend those responsible for this deadly attack. The IDF will continue to act to prevent terror and safeguard the civilians of the State of Israel and its soldiers.”
In response to the murders, Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett demanded that the cabinet reconsider its commitment to release dozens of convicted terrorists over the course of the current negotiations with the Palestinian Authority.