Indian-Origin Israeli Soldier Killed in West Bank Car Attack

An Israeli soldier of Indian origin was killed in a vehicle attack near the West Bank

A 24-year-old Israeli soldier of Indian origin from the Bnei Menashe community was killed in a vehicle-ramming attack near the Beit El settlement in the West Bank. The soldier, Staff Sergeant Geri Gideon Hanghal, was part of the Kfir Brigade’s Nahshon Battalion and lived in Nof HaGalil. He had moved to Israel from northeast India in 2020. The Bnei Menashe community, believed to descend from the ancient Israelite tribe of Menasseh, expressed shock at his death.

Around 300 young members of the Bnei Menashe community are currently serving in the Israeli Army, many in combat roles. About 5,000 Bnei Menashe have moved to Israel, with another 5,500 still in India waiting to immigrate.

Footage showed a truck with a Palestinian license plate crashing into an Israeli Defense Forces guard post. The attacker, a 58-year-old Palestinian man named Hayil Dhaifallah, is from Rafat in the West Bank. The incident follows a wave of attacks and violence linked to the West Bank and the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, which began after a Hamas attack on Israel last October.

The Israeli military (IDF) has stepped up counter-terrorism efforts in the West Bank, claiming that Iran-backed groups are smuggling weapons into the region. Palestinian reports say more than 670 Palestinians have died in the West Bank since October 7, but Israel states that most of these were militants or attackers. Israel has also arrested around 5,000 Palestinians during this period, including over 2,000 connected to Hamas.