The IDF reported Wednesday that Staff Sergeant Geri Gideon Hanghal, 24, from Nof HaGalil, a soldier of the Kfir Brigade’s Nahshon Battalion, was killed in a ramming attack near Asaf Junction, close to the West Bank settlement of Beit El.
Nof HaGalil Mayor Ronen Plot paid tribute to Nengahel, 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."
"Like his peers, Gideon saw his combat service as a mission. He loved the army, took pride in his uniform, contributed greatly to Israel's security, and his commanders saw in him the potential for a continued military career, tragically cut short. We bow our heads and share in the sorrow of his family and loved ones. May they be comforted from heaven."
The terrorist, identified as 58-year-old Hayil Dhaifallah, drove a gas tanker with Palestinian license plates and accelerated toward an IDF unit engaged in an operational mission at the junction. He crashed into a bus stop, critically wounding Hanghal. Soldiers at the scene, along with an armed civilian, quickly responded and neutralized the terrorist, a resident of the Palestinian village of Rafat near Ramallah.
At 9:53 a.m., Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency services received a report of a gas truck hitting a pedestrian near Asaf Junction. Medics and paramedics arrived and treated the critically wounded soldier who was pronounced dead shortly later.
MDA paramedic Bosmat Lubiner described the scene, saying, "We arrived quickly and saw a gas tanker that had collided with a bus stop. Nearby, a young man in his 20s was lying unconscious with multiple injuries."
Firefighters were called to the scene to inspect the tanker for potential explosives and isolate the vehicle, which was carrying hazardous materials. Authorities ruled out the possibility that the truck had been rigged with explosives.