Terrorist Sentenced to Life for Killing IDF Sergeant in Ya'bad

A military court has sentenced a terrorist to life imprisonment for the killing of IDF Senior Sergeant Amit Ben-Yigal during an operation in the village of Ya'bad in May 2020. The Samaria Military Court delivered the verdict on October 8 against Nadim Abu-Bakr, who was found guilty of intentionally causing the death of Sergeant Ben-Yigal. He was also convicted of obstruction of justice.

According to an army release, the court determined that on May 12, 2020, Abu-Bakr dropped a concrete block weighing between 9 and 11 kilograms from a rooftop onto IDF soldiers during a security operation to apprehend wanted individuals in Ya'bad, intending to kill them. After fatally injuring Sergeant Ben-Yigal, Abu-Bakr hid in a house and "pretended to be asleep," the indictment stated. Furthermore, after soldiers left the scene, the terrorist returned, collected fragments of the block, and discarded them on the roadside in an attempt to conceal evidence and hinder the investigation.

The military court sentenced Abu-Bakr to life imprisonment and ordered him to pay over 4 million shekels in compensation. Sergeant Amit Ben-Yigal, originally from Ramat Gan, was serving in the "Golani" reconnaissance battalion. He was wounded by a stone during the operation in Ya'bad, evacuated by helicopter to a hospital, and later died. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Senior Sergeant.